Ghost
by SacredNagChampa
Summary: She closed her eyes tightly and gripped the cold stone until it was cutting into the soft skin on the palm of her hand, she just had to bring Justin and Max back finally she said, “I want everything to be exactly the way it was.” Justin/Alex.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_I've got 500 reasons to get upset_

_But I'd rather laugh it off than go_

_And make a mess._

_Got a whole lotta of demons _

_Acting up in my head. _

_But I refuse to cut a deal just yet. _

Hit the Wall- Elizabeth and the Catapult

She tried to control herself, tried to swallow the lump in her throat and hold back the tears that were trying to make a reappearance. She clutched the stone in her hand, trying to think of the right thing to say. She only had one shot at this; she had to choose carefully, even more carefully than she did with that stupid genie.

She closed her eyes tightly and gripped the cold stone until it was cutting into the soft skin on the palm of her hand, she just had to bring Justin and Max back finally she said, "I want everything to be exactly the way it was."

She felt the rush of air around her, could feel the magic taking place around, pressing on her body and forcing her to a world that was supposed to be.

Finally, everything stilled around her, the pressure decreased and she inhaled deeply, opening her eyes. She heard her mother in front of her and strained harder to hear her brothers. She furrowed her brows; she was a little more than confused. If the stone worked shouldn't they be yelling joyously? Her mom was still talking to her, "Alex, you're ridiculous if you think I'm about to let you go off with a boy you barely know, a boy that I'm sure is a good four years older than you. Do you really think that I'm that stupid?" Her mother scoffed and crossed her arms angrily.

Alex shook her head, not in response to her mother's question, but in disbelief. Where was Justin? Where was Max? She heard someone entering the room behind her mother and looked over her mom's shoulder eagerly, but it was only Max. Still, she let out a sigh of relief and told herself to calm down. If Max was there surely Justin was too.

But as the minutes passed and she didn't say anything, her mother grew more concerned, Max became more confused, and Alex's heart sank. Something was seriously wrong.

"Alex, honey," her mother said gently, tone much softer now and placed a comforting hand on Alex's shoulder, "What's wrong?"

Alex blinked back tears and shook her head, "Nothing, mom. It's just—" she let out a shuddering breath, a few drops of moisture coming with it, "Where's Justin?"

Theresa's brow creased and she opened her mouth to reply before quickly shutting it and looking at Jerry who had just entered the small hotel room, she sent him a questioning look, mouthing 'who's Justin?' but her husband was no help and he merely shrugged in response.

Theresa glanced back at her daughter who was now sobbing quietly, looking so frail and scared. Theresa bit her bottom lip nervously before asking her daughter, "Alex, who is Justin? Is he that boy that invited you to that party?"

Alex let out a sob and slowly dropped to her bed, burying her head in hands; she shook her head, "No," she said miserably and continued crying.

Theresa, always hating to see one of her children in pain or distress, fought back tears of her own and quickly sat next to Alex, wrapping her daughter up in her arms, hugging her tightly, "Oh, honey." She murmured sympathetically and ran her hand over Alex's arm comfortingly, "Shh, its okay."

Alex shook her head again and pushed her mother away, "It's not," she said passionately and left the room.

*****

Alex stared out the small window on the plane, she looked almost catatonic to her parents, but they didn't say anything, having grown used to it over the past few days. She barely responded to anything, only ate when she was told to and had been randomly bursting into tears.

They decided that it was best for everyone if the vacation was cut short and they headed back to New York.

But that didn't seem to help either. Instead when they arrived at the loft she seemed to lose whatever sanity she may have had. She ran up the stairs to the loft and burst into the guest room calling out for the unknown Justin and proceeded to crumple up on the bed there and cry herself to sleep.

They tried to convince her to go to some sort of therapist, but she refused and seemed to quickly forget about the Justin that she had been talking about constantly and moved on.

She shocked her dad by becoming much more intrigued in magic and became much more devoted to it. Studying more often and researching many subjects that she didn't necessarily have to for the Wizard Competition.

Jerry wanted to say something about, question her about the sudden enthusiasm but Theresa convinced him not to, telling him to just accept it. So he did.

*****

A month had passed and Alex had read more books than she ever had before. But she found nothing. She couldn't find one damn spell that would help. She couldn't find any way to safely ask a genie for her brother. And she couldn't find any information about any sort of magical artifact that could grant her wish.

She dropped her head unto the desk in the liar and let out a deep breath, "Stupid stone of dreams. More like the goddamn stone of nightmares," she groaned at her lame attempt at a joke, "Ugh, I'm so losing my edge without Justin around here," she continued to mutter to herself.

She just missed him_ so _much. She wanted him back. She wanted to hug him and tell him she loved him. She wanted to rag on him. She wanted to prank him. She wanted to argue with him. She wanted to get in trouble and have him bail her out. She wanted _him_.

But he wasn't anywhere.

She beat her head softly against the hard table and let out a frustrated sigh before lifting her head and picking another book up.

*****

By time school had started again in the fall she had given up. Apparently this is what happens when one entrusts their fate to a freaking piece of earth.

No one seemed to know who Justin was. She had asked Harper, asked Max, hell, she even approached Zeke in the hall on the first day of school (much to his astonishment) and told her that, no, he had never heard of anyone like that, although, he's sure he would be a pretty awesome person to hang out with.

Alex's eyes started to well up at that and she had to hurriedly excuse herself and rush off to the nearest bathroom where she had a very quiet breakdown in a random stall.

Justin was gone. And for once, she couldn't find a way to makes thing right.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_I'm not calling you a ghost,  
Just stop haunting me,  
And I love you so much,  
I'm gonna let you,  
Kill me._

I'm Not Calling You a Liar- Florence and The Machine

Junior year passed by in a haze. Alex did what she was told (much to the surprise of everyone, her parents, teachers, and Harper especially) and didn't do much else. Except for burying herself in wizard's research. She read anything that she could get her hands on, still hoping to find that one bit of information that she was longing for. But all of this seemed to be to no avail. And when junior year ended and she found herself once again constantly at home during the summer, stuck in her room with continuous thoughts, and she officially gave up.

There just seemed to be no use. She didn't find _one _damn thing, not even a clue as to what she could do to right the situation. She became a shell of her former self. She wasn't outspoken like she used to be, instead she kept to herself, barely even allowing Harper in (who would've thought that she would have missed Harper's endless chatter about Justin and how handsome he looked that day in that new sweater that really brought out his eyes?, certainly not her). It seemed all she did nowadays was stay in her room, reading a thick aging novel or working on a painting of a boy that no one but her had ever seen.

Senior year came and went, Alex's virginity going with it. She just seemed to stop caring even more during her final year of high school. She officially stopped talking to Harper, talking to anyone really and she slept with a boy that she didn't love. This isn't what she wanted to be. Sure, she was rebellious, but this is never what Alex Russo had in mind when she was undermining her parents and older brother a few years earlier. She never wanted to become this uncaring person that was devoid of emotion.

When graduation came she quickly walked across the stage, a heavy feeling in her stomach and she stared at the ground, not wanting to face anyone especially when she heard her parents and Max cheering in the crowd, cooing over the fact that she was the first Russo to graduate from high school.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

*****

"Well, there ya go," her dad said, wiping off dust and cardboard from his hands, he stood up straight, wiping away the sweat that had started to bead at his hairline. He inhaled deeply, looking around the small dorm that they stood in at Columbia (seriously, she doesn't know how the hell she got in, sure, she got some art scholarships and some random but seemingly important lady was impressed by her work, but still).

He stood there awkwardly, obviously wanting to say something but no one was quite sure what they could and couldn't say around her anymore. "Well," he began, staring down at his hands and rubbing away imaginary dirt.

She didn't say anything, just glanced at him for a moment and nodded, "Yeah, well. I guess that's it then. You and mom can go now. I'll be okay."

"You sure?" He asked anxiously, inching towards to door. Alex rolled her eyes, god, she knew she hadn't been herself in a couple of years, but she wasn't the plague.

"I'm sure, daddy," she replied. She watched as his eyes softened at her words and a guilty expression flitted across his features. He stepped forward, wrapping her up in a hug which she eagerly returned; it had been ages since anyone had touched her lovingly. He held onto her for a few minutes before pulling away and dropping a kiss on her forehead. "I'm going to miss you," she added, realizing that it was true. She hadn't been very good to her parents lately, always pushing them away and now she wasn't going to see them everyday like she had for the past eighteen years.

"I'm going to miss you, too, little girl," he stared at her, in that way that parents do when they finally realize that their children have grown up, that they've done all they could to raise a contributing member of society and hoping to god that they did it right.

Alex smiled and watched as her dad left the confining space. She waited until he shut the door behind him before plopping down on her bed. She let out a heavy sigh and lay her hands on her stomach; staring at the ceiling she made a silent wish that things would finally get better.

She shook her head, knowing that it was no use and wiped away the drop of water that fell from her eye.

*****

Her roommate wasn't so bad. Her name was Abby. She was a tall blonde girl, with bright blue eyes and a natural tan. An athlete. Luckily she was a quiet one and kept to herself. Only asking Alex what her name was, where she was from, what her major was and whether she took showers in the morning or at night. All in all, Alex liked her. After years of people relentlessly questioning her it was nice to sit in a comfortable silence.

She fell asleep easily her first night there and for once wasn't plagued by the dreams of a boy that wasn't there.

*****

The first week of classes blew her mind. Not in a bad way. It was just amazing, this whole college thing. The professors were more laid back (most of them anyway), classes were longer but that was fine with her because she only had a few a day, and the people here weren't worried about cliques and what happened between Andrew and Sabrina at the homecoming dance. It was refreshing and she loved it.

She was surprised to find herself smiling at the end of her first week of classes, who knew that she was still capable of that? She laughed to herself and pushed her hair behind her hair. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and continued to walk back to her dorm.

She stopped though when she heard a familiar laugh. Stopped dead in her tracks, catching the people off guard behind them, earning glares and vulgar words in response (okay, so people were still rude in college but maybe that was just a people thing) she mumbled a few halfhearted apologizes and listened for the laugh again. Sure enough, seconds later she heard it coming from her left. She turned quickly. Scanning the crowd around her for a tall frame with jet black hair. And then she found him.

He was standing with his side facing her and she recognized the profile that she had spent years looking at as she watched him tattle on her to their mother and father. It was _him._ After two freaking years she found what she had been looking for.

Her feet carried her towards him, gaining speed the closer she got to him. Finally she was a few feet from him, a smile forming once again on her face. "Justin?" She called anxiously, he and few of the guys he was with turned to look at her.

He furrowed his brow and studied her. Starting with her face and slowly drifting downward. Oh god, was he checking her out? He grinned at her (oh god, he was, he totally checked her out), he motioned for his friends to leave and approached her, still grinning, "Hey," he said, sounding way cooler than he ever did before.

She let out a sigh of relief, thank god, he remembered her and he hadn't been checking her out, "Oh, thank god," she said aloud and practically threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his body and rubbing her cheek against his chest.

But something was off; he wasn't eagerly returning her embrace. Instead he was all stiff and tense, looking down at her curiously, "Do I know you?" He asked.

She removed herself and let out a frustrated groan and kicked at the ground, "God damn it!" She exclaimed. "Shit!"

Now what was she going to do?

* * *

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Please leave some more! I'm so excited about this story and love knowing what you think of it.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_Seems that I have been held, in some dreaming state  
A tourist in the waking world, never quite awake  
No kiss, no gentle word could wake me from this slumber  
Until I realize that it was you who held me under_

Blinding- Florence and the Machine

He continued to stare at her perplexedly, eyebrows raised and eyes wide, obviously he was waiting for more of a breakdown from this strange girl that _he _had never met. She let a frustrated scream, causing him to step back slightly and pushed the heels of her hands against her eyes. After a moment, she opened her eyes, surprised to see that he was slowly inching away from her, apparently trying to get as far away as he could.

"Wait!" She called, and he did. Surprisingly. She was quiet for a second, chewing on her lip as she thought of something to do. "Can I talk to you?" She finally asked.

He nodded cautiously, eyes still wide as he stared at her. He walked back towards her, keeping a safe distance, "What about?"

She glanced around, noticing some people had stop to watch her public breakdown, she walked towards him quickly, grabbing his arm and pulling her with him, "Where's your dorm?"

He shook his head, "No. No way am I telling you where I live. You're nuts. I kind of wish I had a rape whistle right now."

She snorted at that and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well, don't worry. Raping you is the last thing I plan to do. I promise, I just want to talk." She stopped mid step, causing him to bump into her shoulder.

"Sorry," he murmured, although he didn't sound very sincere. She took in her surroundings before turning back in the direction that they had just come from.

"Whatever," she replied edgily, "We're going to my dorm. That alright with you?"

She didn't give him time to answer, just grabbed onto his arm again and tugged him, forcing him to keep up with her.

*****

When they arrived she forced him to enter before him, shutting and locking the door behind her before shoving him carelessly onto the bed.

He grunted when his body forcibly made contact with the mattress, "All this to get me into your bed?"

She wrinkled her nose, "No. I told you. I wanted to talk."

He grinned at her cockily, "Don't lie, babe, I know that this is what you were intending to do. I understand."

She let out a sigh and ran her hands through her hair, "Ugh, you look like Justin, but I'm getting the impression that you are nothing like him."

He sat up in her small bed, resting his weight on his elbows, "I am Justin."

She lifted a brow, "Really? Justin Russo?"

He furrowed his brow at that. "No," he said slowly, "Justin Moretti. I thought you knew me."

She scoffed and started to pace, ugh. This was so frustrating. She found him alright. The only problem is he isn't Justin at all. Just some cocky douchebag that looks like him. She let a frustrated sigh and settled onto the bed next to him. "No, you just look like someone I used to know." She kicked off her shoes and brought her feet unto the bed; she wrapped her arms around her knees and laid her head down. She sniffled, "Ugh. Don't cry," she whispered to herself.

"I'm not crying," Justin replied. She glanced up at him. He was looking down at her, obviously still confused but his expression became concerned when he saw that she was crying. "Hey," he whispered, voice turning serious, "Are you okay?"

She shook her head and let out a sob, more tears accompanying it. "No, I'm not. I just want Justin back," she cried for a few more minutes, ignoring his concerned glances, "You can go now," she said hoarsely, "I'm sorry I scared you," she took a deep shaky breath, "And for dragging here against your will."

He chuckled softly at that, "Don't worry about. It's not often that a beautiful girl does that to me."

She snorted a laugh. That was almost something _her_ Justin would say. Except maybe for the beautiful part. He never said anything like that to her. Her stomach dropped at that. Why hadn't he ever told her that? Why did she like it so much when this Justin told her she was beautiful? Ugh, why was she thinking about this?

He smiled sadly at her and reached out hesitantly to wipe away the moisture on her cheeks. She closed her eyes at the contact. He _felt_ like Justin. "Feel better, okay? Maybe we'll bump into each other sometime, okay?"

She nodded, "I'd like that."

His smile widened, lost some of its sadness, "Me too. Well. Bye…" he trailed off, "I'm sorry, but you never told me your name."

"Oh," she said, right, she hadn't, she had kind of assumed that he had recognized her, "I'm Alex. Alex Russo."

He stuck out his hand which she tentatively reached for, "I'm Justin Moretti, nice to meet you."

She smiled at him, "Yeah, you too."

And with that, he gathered his bag and left.

*****

She came home that weekend. She didn't want to. What she wanted to do was sulk in her room, work on a new painting and listen to Van Morrison. But she couldn't do that. She needed books. Books that she was positive she wouldn't be able to find in any library, especially Columbia's.

Her mother was obviously surprised to see her burst through the doors of the Sub Station with a duffle bag slung over her shoulder. "Alex?" She asked like it could be someone else. "What are you doing here? Are you alright? Oh god, you didn't drop out, did you?"

Alex held back an eye roll, "No mom, I'm just home for the weekend. It was a long week and I couldn't stand staring at the same four walls anymore. It's alright, isn't it?

Her mother balked at her and Alex realized that that was the most she had said to her mom at one time in two years. Theresa seemed to come out of whatever zone she was and nodded eagerly at her only daughter, "Yes, of course, Alex," she gathered Alex in her arms and squeezed her tightly. Alex didn't mind, just hugged her back as tightly, "Oh Alex," Theresa whispered into her hair, "I've missed you so much."

Alex was pretty sure that her mom wasn't referring to the week she had spent at Columbia. "I missed you, too, mom," Her mother released her, giving her a big smile, tears prickling her eyes.

"It's so good to have you back," her mother added.

Alex nodded, smiling slightly at her mother. It was good to be back. She just hoped that she would be able to stay.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! Please keep them coming. I really love your feedback.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_Into this night I wander  
Its morning that I dread  
Another day of knowing of  
The path I fear to tread  
Oh into the sea of waking dreams  
I follow without pride  
Nothing stands between us here  
And I won't be denied_

Possession- Sarah McLachlan

She jokes with her family that night at the table, tells them all about school (well, not Justin, it doesn't feel right to tell them about him) and she feels almost normal. She can almost pretend that Justin is sitting across from her. Can see him rolling his eyes at something inane that Max just said. She rolls her eyes back at the person that's not there, grinning at him and bumping his feet with hers.

The spell is broken though when she realizes that it's Max across from her, that it's now Max that it staring at her confusedly, "Did you just kick me?" He asks.

She opens her mouth to reply, chokes on the words, she clamps her mouth shut and shakes her head no. "Sorry," she says after a minute, "I didn't mean to."

He shrugs in reply and shovels more food into his mouth.

*****

She excuses herself after dinner, slips on her shoes and puts on a fall coat. Theresa is putting dishes into the dishwasher and looks up briefly from her task to ask Alex where she's going but it's too late, Alex is gone.

Theresa sighs sadly and leans against the counter, she just hopes she comes back.

*****

Alex wanders down the familiar streets, trying to find something to do that will clear her mind. Of course, nothing helps. She knows that it's useless. All of this has been useless for two years. She thought that finding him would ease her, soothe all of her fears and bring the old Alex back. She never for a second considered the thought that if she did find him that it wouldn't be _him. _

In fact, finding Justin, the one that exists in this world, makes everything that much worse. She stops her walking and leans against the brick exterior of a random building. She tries to get her breathing under control.

She counts to ten a few times and finally her heart stops racing, her breathing is regular and she feels somewhat better. She looks at the building that's been supporting her to find the record shop that she and Justin used to go to.

She stares at it for a few minutes before going in. She smiles hesitantly at the man working and he nods in response. She walks toward the back, goes to the row that Justin always did. Once there she browses through the CDs. She stops when she finds a _Tears of Blood_ CD. She grins at it. Runs her fingers of the cover art. She reaches into her pocket, finds a twenty and walks back to the cash register.

*****

She doesn't speak to anyone when she gets home, just takes off her shoes and coat and heads up to her bedroom.

Jerry finds her a few minutes later (Theresa sent him to check on her); he finds her in her closet, on her hands and knees looking for something. He lets out a relieved breath, all things consider, that's almost a normal thing for her to do. "Hey," he says, startling her, he hears miscellaneous items clatter in her closet, she peaks her head around the doorframe, her hair is disheveled, her cheeks are flushed and she looks almost happy.

"Hey, daddy," she replies before turning back to her task.

He rubs his hand on his neck, trying to think of what to do, "What are you doing?" He asks.

This time she doesn't face him, instead yells over her shoulder, "Looking for my old walkman, have you seen it?"

His brow puckers and he tries to remember the object he's talking about, "That old yellow CD player?"

"Yeah."

"Actually, I think it's downstairs in a box somewhere, do you want me to go get it?"

She crawls out of the closet, stands up and brushes off the dust on her knees, "That would be great, thanks dad."

He nods and leaves her room.

He returns fifteen minutes later with her childhood walkman. "Sorry," he says when he walks into her room, "Took me awhile to find it," he hands it to her, "I grabbed the headphones, too. Oh, and I put batteries in it. So, all set, I guess."

She smiles at him gratefully and rises to hug him tightly. "Thank you, so much."

He pats her awkwardly on the back; he doesn't know what he did that was so great. "Anytime, Alex."

*****

Theresa sends him once again to check on her. He grumbles to himself but kicks off his covers and climbs out of bed. She isn't in her bedroom. He pauses, and then remembers.

Sure enough she's in the guest bedroom; he can make out her small frame, curled up under the comforter and listens to her steady breathing. He can barely hear it though over the awful music coming from the headphones that are securely on her ears.

*****

She's refreshed after her weekend at home. She hugs her mom and dad goodbye, even pecks Max on the cheek (much to his chagrin).

She's happy. And hopes to stay that way once she's back at Columbia.

Abby notices the difference in her immediately and soon engages her in conversation. Alex really likes the girl after their long talk, finds that they have a lot in common. She realizes that Abby was so quiet their first week there because she was wary of the moody girl. Alex apologized for her behavior but Abby brushes it off.

Alex hopes they can be friends.

*****

She gets invited to a party the next weekend. She accepts the invitation. It's been awhile since she's let loose (the last time she did so, she swept her V-Card at the wrong register, but she learns from her mistakes) and she's eager to relax.

The beat of the music pounds against her temple, but she likes it. She enjoys _feeling,_ it's been so long. She gets her own drink and leaves the room full of dancing bodies. Smoke fills the room, makes her sight hazy, but soon she finds a less crowded room and seats herself on the couch. She finishes her drink, downs another one, and another. And finally she's just tipsy enough to dance with the guy that's been asking her to do so for the past three songs.

She dances with him for the next few songs, lets herself believe that he really does like her, wants to get to know her and not in her pants. He convinces her to have another drink, she does. And now she's feeling a little sick. It's been so long since she's drank. She tells him she's tired, doesn't want to dance. He wraps his arm around her waist and leads her to a deserted bedroom.

Alex follows him, she's so tired, doesn't have much control over herself. She doesn't realize that this is turning into a bad teen movie.

Doesn't realize it until the guy is leaning over her on the bed, kissing his way down her neck, his hand finding its way under her shirt and creeping toward her breast. She turns her head away from his lips, tries to raise her hands to push him away. But he puts more of his weight on her, forcing her to stay where she is. She tries to scream, but his hand covers her mouth.

She can hear the music outside the room, can hear people laughing and talking outside of the closed door. She screams, but it's no use, it's muffled and no one can hear her.

"Shh," he tells her, nuzzling her neck, "It's okay."

Tears well up in her eyes and she feels his hand on her thigh, feels his fingers tracing the zipper on her pants.

She closes her eyes, prepares herself for what's about to come.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! Please, keep them up!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_Would someone care to classify?  
A broken heart and some twisted minds  
So I can find someone to rely on  
And run to them, to them  
Full speed ahead  
Oh, you are not useless  
We are just  
Misguided ghosts  
Travelin' endlessly_

Misguided Ghosts- Paramore

Her head is _pounding_; she feels the rush of blood to her head with every beat of her heart. She opens her eyes slowly, she can already feel the warmth of the sun on her cheeks, is wary of the bright light that she's sure will accompany it.

She sits up slowly in bed, pausing every so often to ease her dizziness. Once she's fully sitting up she takes in her surroundings. She's definitely not in her own bed, the bed she rests in is _comfortable_, so unlike the stiff mattress in her dorm and it's much bigger than the cramped twin.

She turns to her left, finds an alarm clock resting on a nightstand, studies at it with blearily eyes, _9:12_, it reads, she assumes in the morning (duh, she's only being blinded by daylight). Her brow puckers in thought, trying to remember what the hell happened, how she ended up here.

And it hits in her flashes: _dancing at the party, lying on a bed, pressure on her body, lips on her neck, a hand on her fly._

A wave of nausea hits her and she covers her mouth, swallowing the bile that rises in her throat. She lifts the blanket, checks herself, she doesn't feel any different, her pants are still firmly in place (perhaps a little skewed from tossing and turning in her sleep, but they're _there_).

"He didn't," a voice starts, she looks up, finds Justin staring down at her, concern etched on his face, he swallows heavily and she watches the rise and fall of his Adam's apple, he turns away when she catches his eye, "He didn't," he tries again, "You're fine," he finally gets out, "I got there in time," he mutters something that sounds like 'barely' under his breath, but she figures he didn't want her to hear that so she doesn't bring it up.

She opens her mouth to reply and closes it quickly, not sure what to say, she supposes she should start with thank you. She tries again but her mouth is too dry to respond.

He walks closer to the bed, hands her a glass of water and two small white pills, she raises her eyebrows at this and he scoffs, "You'll accept a drink from a stranger at a party but you question the guy that saved you the night before and is only trying to give you aspirin for what he's sure is a killer headache?"

Okay, point taken, she offers him her hand, palm up and accepts the pills, puts them in her mouth and downs the glass of water in one drink, she wipes away some of the water that seeped out of her mouth in her struggle for hydration and hands him back the glass.

He's walking briskly to the door when she finally finds her voice, "Thank you, Justin." She says quietly from the bed. He stops mid stride, his shoulders stiff before he nods and leaves the room.

*****

After he returned from what she assumes was the kitchen, he walks to his dresser, pulls out sweatpants and a T-Shirt and points her to the bathroom. "Shower," he says simply, "it will help. I'll have breakfast ready when you come out."

The first thing she notices about the bathroom is its cleanliness. Like, it's spotless, no towels or clothes on the floor, no hair in the shower, no toothpaste on the sink. Huh, maybe he's more like her Justin than she had originally thought.

She had planned for a quick shower, but the events of last night hit her once again and she starts to cry. Harsh sobs leave her body and echo in the small bathroom. She leans against the tiled wall for a moment before sinking into a sitting position. She continues to cry for a few minutes, enjoys the water as it beats harshly against her head. When she can, she stands and scrubs herself until she's red.

When she finally does exit the shower, the small bathroom is consumed by steam, making it hard to see. She quickly dries, runs the towel over her pruned skin until all moisture has left her skin. She puts on the clothes he gave her, wraps her own up in her towel and exits into his bedroom.

She can smell coffee and follows the scent. She finds the kitchen empty with a full pot of coffee and a plate of cherry pop tarts (her favorite), she laughs quietly to herself, well, this Justin can't cook; that's for sure. She searches the cupboards until she finds a mug and pours herself a cup and sips it greedily (holy shit, he totally makes up for his lack of cooking ability with his mad coffee making skills, she takes another sip). She seats herself on the barstool by the island and drags the plate of pop tarts to her.

She finds a small note on the plate: _Alex, ran out to take care of something. I'll be back in an hour. Stay here _(this is underlined three times for emphasis, she rolls her eyes, like she can leave, she has no idea where the hell she is). _We need to talk. _He doesn't sign it. Not like he has to, he's the only other person that's here, but still, it would've been nice.

She finishes the pop tarts, pours herself another cup of coffee and leaves her spot at the counter. She decides to investigate her surroundings. She starts with the kitchen. Studies the pictures and schedule on the fridge. She gathers from his class schedule that he's an engineer major (or something of that sort and much more popular than _her _Justin).

Her next stop is the cramped living room. He has a small TV, a worn loveseat and a reclining chair that has seen its better days. And of course, there is a book shelf, she reads the titles, finds most to be old texts for class, but those that aren't are Sci-Fi and fantasy novels, with the occasional crime thriller thrown into the mix. He has CDs and DVDs on the bottom shelves. She squats down to look at them. Most CDs are Alt Rock or Classic Rocks CDs (this Justin has way better taste in music) although she does find miscellaneous Classical CDs.

When she tires of the living room she goes to his bedroom, rifling through his nightstand, once satisfied with that she moves to the dresser.

And that's where he finds her, with his boxers-briefs in her hands.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_I know it turns you off when I  
I get talking like a teen  
I get talking like a teen  
You're directing me  
You're dressed up, I lose my grip, my focus  
Make those eyes at me  
I lose my grip, I lose my focus_

On Directing- Tegan and Sara

"Alex?" He questions, his voice startling her, she drops the item in her hand and quickly closes the dresser drawer. She focuses on her breathing, tries to control the blush that she can feel rising to her cheeks, she turns around slowly and tries to smile at him.

"Hey," she says nonchalantly, trying to act casual, trying to pretend that she wasn't going through his underwear drawer. God, this isn't an episode of _Room Raiders_, what the hell was she thinking?

He's avoiding her gaze. She briefly wonders why, studies his body language. He's shifting uncomfortably, staring down at his feet and rubbing the back of his neck. She leans over, tries to get a better look at his face. She does eventually, finds him flushing hotly. "Huh," she says aloud, standing straight again, "You're not as cool as I thought you were."

This catches his attention and he looks up at her, cheeks still red, "What makes you think that?" He questions, forcing a false confidence in his voice.

She laughs inwardly, her lips curling upwards in a small smile, "You're blushing," she states.

His skin darkens once more and this time a small snort escapes her, she quickly covers her nose and mouth, sighing against her curled fingers, "Oh god," she mumbles into her hands.

He's smiling at her, eyes glinting mischievously, "Did you just snort?" He asks, laughing.

She closes her eyes, "Ugh, maybe," she acquiesces, "But hey, at least I wasn't the one blushing."

He frowns slightly at this and crosses his arm over his chest, "Hey, in all fairness, it's kind of embarrassing to come home and find a strange girl rifling through your undergarments."

She snorts again, this time not bothering to hide her amusement, she bends over slightly, holding her stomach as she continues to laugh uproariously, "Oh my god," she gasps, "You said undergarments, that's almost as bad as underpants."

He narrows his eyes at her, opens his mouth to say something before he snaps it shut. "Whatever," he mutters and leaves his bedroom.

She notices him leaving amongst her laughing and calms herself down before following him out of the room.

She finds him in the kitchen, washing his hands in the sink. She furrows her brows at this and walks closer, finding that the water swirling in the sink is tinged pink, "What happened?" She asks him softly, all of her previous amusement forgotten about. She places her hand gently on his shoulder but he flinches and moves away. She tries not to take offense, after all, to him, she's a stranger.

"Nothing," he mumbles, continuing his task.

She bites her bottom lip and leans her back against the counter so she can look at him, "Justin," she tries again, "Come on, tell me."

He finishes washing his hands, turns the water off and reaches for the dishtowel that hangs on the stove next to the sink. He winces when the fabric caresses his knuckles. He removes the towel after a second and she finally sees his bruised and still bleeding knuckles. She looks at his face, finds that his temple is beginning to bruise, as well as his jaw. "Justin," she says softly, reaching up to gently touch his jaw, he doesn't flinch this time, just stares her steadily, "What did you do?"

"I had to, Alex. He tried to…" he swallows thickly and lowers his voice, "He tried to hurt you. I couldn't let him just get away with it."

Her eyes begin to water and she takes a deep breath, turns away from him for a moment, not sure what to say, "Where are your band-aids?"

He sends her small smile in understanding, "In the bathroom, above the sink."

She nods, "Go sit down. I'll be right back."

She rushes to the bathroom, quickly locating his tidy first aid kit (seriously, how many people have that in their house? They always just had a box of band-aids at the loft, nothing this intense).

She seats herself next to him on the small loveseat, feels the heat coming from his body. She starts with his still bleeding knuckles; gently she grabs his wrist and rests his hand in her lap. She dabs at them with a clean cloth until the bleeding stops. Then cleans it with peroxide and apologizes when he scowls from the sting. She wraps it up and moves to his next hand.

She studies his face when she's finished, tries to find any damage greater than bruising. Satisfied with her inspection, she places everything back in the box and returns it to the bathroom.

He's staring dazedly at the TV when she reenters and startles when she sits down next to him once more.

"What happened?" She asks.

He shrugs, "I saw you at the party. I wanted to get your attention. Talk to you. Well, apologize to you."

She raises an eyebrow at this, "What for?"

He chuckles, "For being a complete and total dick the other day. I don't know why I treated you like that, said the things I said," he shrugs again; "I'm not normally like that."

She nods, "It's alright. I'm over it. Besides, I was a little more than a creeper that day. So, I'm sorry, too."

His face tenses, his lips disappearing into a thin line, "I don't know what would've happen if I had been a minute later," he laughs humorlessly, "Well, I do."

She places her hand comfortingly on his arm, rubs soft circles on his skin. Who would've thought that _he_ would be having such a hard time with this?

"When did you realize that something wasn't right?"

"Well, I was watching you two dance. He's kind of known for being an asshole. Being a grabby asshole. But nothing seemed wrong during the first few songs. I went to get a drink and when I came back you were gone."

She doesn't remember much, barely remembers what the guy even looked like, only remembers the feel of his weight pushing her down, restraining her.

"I started to search the bedrooms, found you in the third one I checked," he stops, takes a deep breath, tries to calm himself down, she just adds more pressure to her caresses, trying to ease him. "God," he says hoarsely, "You were telling him no, trying to get away from him, but he had you pinned. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure what happened after that. I just had to get to you. I couldn't let that bastard do that to you."

She stops her movements on his arm, lowers her hand until she can intertwine their fingers. She leans her had against his shoulder, lets him know silently that she's alright. That she's there with him and that she's _safe_.

They sit quietly for quite a few moments. She listens to their combined breathing and the random noises of his apartment. "I should go," she breaks the silence, "My roommate is probably getting worried."

"Right," he nods, wipes at his eyes quickly, "I'll walk you to the door."

She smiles at this, it's such a small way there, but she'll let him take comfort in this. "Thank you, Justin. So much. I mean. Well, I'm not sure if words are enough," she says to him as they stand in his doorway.

He nods stiffly.

She gives him a small, sad smile. Stands on her tip-toes and gently kisses his bruised jaw, "I'll see you around, right?"

He grins at her, "Right."

"Bye, Justin."

"Later, Alex."

She makes her way down the stairs quickly, doesn't hear his door shut until she's safely at bottom.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_Dark blue, dark blue  
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room? Well, I'm here with you  
I said the world could be burning 'til there's nothing but dark blue  
Just dark blue_

Dark Blue- Jack's Mannequin

She soon realizes where she is when she walks out onto the street, just a few blocks from her dorm. Thank god. Sure, they've reached, she doesn't know, an understanding or something, and she's way grateful for everything that he's done for her, but she isn't quite sure she wants to head back up to that tiny apartment to ask him for directions.

She walks slowly back to her dorm, enjoying the air (seriously, his apartment was _cramped_ or something) and trying to process everything's that's happened. Abby must be worried. She told Alex the night before that she would stay up and wait for her to return. Ugh, she really hopes Abby isn't the dramatic type. She doubts it.

*****

So she's really bad at reading people? Abby throws herself at Alex when she enters the dorm, throwing her arms around Alex's neck and squeezing her and talking a mile a minute, "Ohmygod!" she gets out in one breath, "I was so worried about you! You were supposed to be back by three, and you weren't. I was going to call the police, but, I wasn't sure. I was just about to though! I said to myself 'if she doesn't walk through that door in ten minutes I will totally call the police!' but you walked in," she inhales deeply and looks down at her watch, "with four and half minutes to spare."

Alex eyes widen in response, wow, she hasn't met anyone other than Harper that can talk that fast. She loosens herself from the other girl's embrace and walks to her bed, she plops down on the hard mattress (and it's weird that she misses Justin's, right?) and unlaces her shoes.

Abby follows her movements with a raised brow, still obviously concerned, maybe even more so because Alex hasn't replied, "Alex? Are you okay?"

Alex glances up at her and nods slightly, "Yeah. I'm fine. I uhh…I was at a friend's?" She realizes that what has just left her mouth sounds more like a question and maybe that was a mistake. But soon Abby's shoulders relax and she seats herself on her own bed, so maybe everything's okay now.

"A friend?" Abby asks, a teasing smile playing on her lips and Alex feels her eyes on her, taking in the clothes that clearly aren't her own and she cringes, shit, how could she forget about that?, "And is this friend a boy?"

Something weird happens then, an odd sensation wells in her abdomen, oh no. No, no, no. That is so not okay. She tries to play it off, scoffing and replying, "No!" But it sounds forced, even to her own ears and she hates the grin that continues to blossom on her roommate's face. "Ugh, whatever," Alex sighs, "Don't believe me. I'm tired, alright? And I have class in," she pauses, looking at her alarm clock, "Four hours and I really need a power nap."

Abby nods, "Sure. That's fine. I have to leave now anyway. Look, Alex, I'm really glad you're okay; you had no idea how worried I was about you. And sorry for teasing you."

Alex waves her off, mumbles a goodbye and falls back on her pillow. She tosses and turns, trying to find a comfortable position (really, like looking for a needle in a haystack) before she finally gives up and sits up in her bed.

She finds her phone (which she left in her drawer in her nightstand, wow, that would've been helpful last night, what the hell was she thinking? Oh right, she wasn't) and scrolls through the numbers, she finds names of people she doesn't really know and pauses when she finds the one person that used to know her better than anyone else (well, other than _her_ Justin). She bites her lip, contemplating whether or not to hit the green little button.

She closes her eyes tightly as she pushes it. She holds her breath, tries not to focus on the fact that it's on the third ring and usually that means the other person isn't going to pick up.

"Alex?" Comes the hesitant voice from the other end. Alex doesn't say anything for a minute, too surprised by her old friend's voice.

Finally, "Harper," she replies, trying to keep the tears out of her own voice.

She hears Harper's breath catch before she says, "Oh, Alex."

*****

It's been three weeks since she's seen Justin (she used to say "since the incident" but let's face it, she's more concerned by the fact that it's been twenty one days since she last saw Justin). It's okay, she guesses. Well, it's not.

He's the only person (other than the dick that tried to rape her) that knows about that night. And, well, she's kind of having a hard time dealing with it and it would be amazing just to sit and talk to him. Maybe even have has his arm around her…

And there's the other problem.

She finds herself thinking about him often. About how comforting his body heat was. She's reminded of him when she hears a sweet song on the radio. Remembers the fact that he freaking _defended her honor_. She tries to ignore the swell of excitement that overcomes her when she sees a boy that looks like him from behind.

Is there something wrong with her? Because for all intents and purposes, _she_ grew up thinking of him as her brother. They were raised as siblings until just a couple of years ago. But surely liking him isn't, well, illegal or a sin or anything of that sort now. Right?

It only weirds her out a little bit. But come on, he beat some guy up for her. Got himself battered and bruised in the process. It's only normal to have a sort of hero worship, right?

Ugh, whatever. Boys are confusing. Being a girl in confusing. College in confusing. Everything in Alex Russo's life is a little more than mind baffling at the moment.

*****

She tries to forget about Justin (because it's been five weeks now, and _come on_ he knows where she lives and if he wanted to he could come and find her) and she goes out to dinner with some guy in her math class (and that's another thing that's been rubbing her the wrong way lately, this is college, shouldn't she be taking all the art classes she wants and not Pre-Calc? Come on people, there is a reason she didn't take it in high school).

He's sweet. She supposes. With wavy blonde hair that's just a little too long, a tan (that's fake, she's sure) and bright blue eyes. His laugh is annoying, sounds a little haughty and she forces a grin whenever he chuckles.

But, it's not like she's going to marry the guy, she's just going to eat a meal with him. He tries to prolong the night, asks her to take a walk (she's been there, done that, not doing it anytime soon) and she fakes a yawn. "Sorry," she mumbles, "I have a _huge_ test in the morning, I'm really going to need some sleep."

His face falls for a moment before he's faking another grin (good lord, she's going to choke him) but he helps her from her chair and walks in the opposite direction when they exit the restaurant. She lets out a sigh of relief and reaches into her purse, digging out her phone. She calls Harper, reiterates all of the details of the horrible date and enjoys a laugh with her friend.

She's almost to her dorm, still poking fun at her cheesy date and snorting at something Harper just said. She tenses when she sees the male figure outside her door, furrows her brow as she takes in his outline, when she's at the top of the stairs she has more light to see and realizes that it's Justin creeping outside her door. "Harper? I got to let you go, I'll call you tomorrow, alright?" She doesn't give Harper time to respond, just hangs up.

Justin turned at the sound of her voice and offers her a small smile when she snaps her phone shut.

"Hey," she says, trying to act casual, ignoring the flip that her stomach just did when he checks her out (which, yeah, he totally did).

His smile grows and he holds up a plastic bag, "I have something for you."

* * *

A/N: I love all of you! Leave a review and let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_Why don't you sit right down and stay a while?  
We like the same things and I like your style  
It's not a secret  
Why do you keep it?  
I'm just sitting on the shelf_

Why Don't You Let Me Stay Here?- She & Him

"Hey," she says eventually, after she's processed the fact that he's _here_, in front of her dorm with grin on his face. And, well, the silence was getting a little awkward.

"It's alright that I stopped by right?" He questions.

She nods, "Yeah, sure, it's fine. Uhh," she takes a breath, tries to figure out what to do, "Do you want to come in?"

He raises an eyebrow, "Oh, I have a choice in the matter this time?"

She fights not to smirk, but she can feel the corners of her lips rising, she hits him gently with her purse, "Oh, shut up."

She opens the door, peeking in, just to make sure Abby was still gone (she started dating a guy a few weeks earlier and had been spending the majority of her time with him). Satisfied with the empty dorm, she pushes the door open fully and walks in with Justin following behind her.

She kicks off her heels and lays on her bed, curling into a fetal position. Justin stands awkwardly next to the door for a moment before he makes himself comfortable on Abby's bed. She lets out a deep sigh and rolls unto her back, stretching her legs out, enjoying the burning sensation in her muscles that accompanies the movement.

Justin is avoiding looking at her, taking in the posters that adorn the walls and looking down at Abby's bedspread. He clears his throat uncomfortably, "So…" he starts.

She realizes that she's being a crappy hostess (not that she normally cares, there is a reason she only hung out with Harper for so many years: she put up with Alex's crap like no one else). "Sorry," she murmurs, sitting up in her bed. The quick movement makes her head spin. Once her dizziness eases she remembers the bag he was holding when she first saw him moments earlier. "What's in the bag?" She asks eagerly, hey, she's a girl, and she like's presents. Nothing wrong with that.

"Oh, right," he lifts himself from the bed and hands her bag, quickly sitting himself back down, "It's not a present or anything…" He trails off when she opens the plastic bag and tears spring in her eyes, "Uhh, did I do something wrong? Because I was just returning your clothes."

She ignores him, instead cradles the cotton fabric, running her fingers over the worn material. How could she have forgotten about this? This is one of the first things she stole from Justin. She brings the blue cloth to her face, rubs her cheek against it, and takes in the scent (which for some reason smells remarkably like _her_ Justin for the first time in years). It was his favorite shirt. A once bright blue t-shirt sporting the original Power Rangers, with the words 'MORPH INTO ACTION' written beneath them. He used to wear it constantly, even after he outgrew it and you could see a sliver of his skin whenever he wore it.

She doesn't know why _this_, of all Justin's things that she had stolen over the years, was the only surviving physical reminder of him. She wore it that night for comfort, like she had so many times before. She feels the tears running down her cheeks and hastily wipes them away, "Thank you," she says throatily, she shakes her head and sighs, "Seriously, Justin, I don't think you realize how amazing you are sometimes."

He scoffs slightly at that and looks away from her, "Yeah. Sure. I'm amazing."

She resists the urge to roll her eyes, well, turns out that this Justin is a downer, too. She rises from her bed and sits down next to Justin, wraps her arms around his firmly and rubs her cheek against his arm, "Don't be like that. You have no idea how thankful I am to you right now."

He looks down at her, his eyes a little glazed and asks dully, "For a t-shirt?"

She smiles at him, "It's more than that."

"Why?"

She takes a deep breath, avoiding his gaze, though she can feel it on her, "Someone that I loved very much gave it, okay, well, I may have _stolen _it from them, but nonetheless, I haven't been able to be with that person in quite some time and this," she raises her hand and shows him the shirt that's currently bunched up in her fist, "is the only thing I have to remember him by."

He raises his eyebrow suggestively, "An ex?"

She chuckles, "No. No, definitely not an ex," his face falls, huh, that's weird, normally a boy that likes her (which, uh, she's pretty sure he does) would be happy about that, relieved that she's not pining for her ex-boyfriend. "But," she adds a moment later, "He was a person that meant the world to me. Though, I wish I would have had the chance to tell him that."

There's a hint of a smile on his face after that and she relaxes, resting her head on his arm once more.

A second later she feels him rest his head gently against hers.

*****

A few days later she finds herself back at the loft. Not for magic research, but to relax, enjoy her family. She's done with researching, doesn't even care about it anymore. She _likes_ this Justin. She'll take him. No more questions.

She's lounging in the lair, waiting for her dad and Max to enter. Her dad insists that she joins them for Wizards lessons when she comes home, so every weekend she finds herself back in the familiar place.

Finally, they enter, Max with sleep still in his eyes, hair a mess and breath a little disgusting. "Eww," she mutters, crinkling her nose, she leans towards him on the couch when their father's back is turned, "Max, we've talked about this. You've got to brush your teeth."

He gives her a look and turns back to their dad, clearly not in the mood for her reprimanding this morning.

She shrugs and scoots away from his morning breath. Whatever, she was just trying to help him out.

*****

Abby is all impish grins and knowing smiles when Alex returns late Sunday afternoon. Alex drops her duffle bag and raises a questioning brow, "You alright?" She asks her roommate.

Abby smirks and crosses her arms over her chest, "I'm fantastic, Alex. How about you?"

"Umm, good?"

"Anything you'd like to tell me?"

Alex grows suspicious, she doesn't like this, playful Abby is a bad Abby, "Uhh, my dad made breakfast this morning?"

Abby huffs and uncrosses her arms, "No! I'm talking about the cute boy that came looking for you yesterday!"

Alex's brow puckers, what cute boy? Ugh, if it's that guy she went out with earlier this week… "What cute boy?"

Abby throws her hands up in the air, clearly frustrated with Alex, "That Justin guy!"

Oh, right. He _is _cute. Oh, shut up, Alex.

"Oh, yeah. Him. We're just friends."

Abby looks disbelieving but shrugs it off, "Whateve," she says.

Alex rolls her eyes, tries to stop the squirming in her stomach. She and Justin _are_ just friends.

Well, for now.

* * *

A/N: Lots of clues in this chapter! Hope you caught them. Let me know what you think! And thank you so much for being awesome and reviewing.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_I don't know what this is  
But you got me good  
Just like you knew you would  
I don't know what you do  
But you do it well  
I'm under your spell  
You got me begging you for mercy  
Why won't you release me  
You got me begging you for mercy  
Why won't you release me  
I said you better release me_

Mercy- Duffy

The next morning is startlingly warm for an October day. It puts her in a better mood. She wakes up and doesn't hit snooze, instead gets up and prepares for her day. She's running through a list in her head, making sure she has everything she needs for the day (she hates going back to her dorm midday because she forgot something).

She bumps into a warm, hard body on her way out the door, starts to mumble an apology but looks up to find Justin's smiling face. She's taken back for a moment, not sure how she feels about seeing him. After all, they had five weeks between their last meetings, "Hi," she says, trying to keep the surprise out of her voice.

"Hey," he replies, still grinning, he lifts up a white paper bag, "I brought you breakfast," he finishes.

"Oh!" Damn it, she knew she forgot to do something, "Thank you." She takes the offered bag and opens it up to find a plain bagel with blueberry jam, another one of her favorite breakfast items; he's really good at this. She bites into it carefully, wary of getting the sticky confection on her face and groans pleasantly when the jam hits her taste buds, "Oh my god," she says through a mouthful, "This is amazing."

"You're welcome," he replies, he shifts around awkwardly, looking at the people around them before facing her, "Uh, can I…" he doesn't finish his sentence, instead shakes his head, "Nevermind."

"Can you what?" She furrows her brow, only half paying attention to him, because sweet baby Jesus, this bagel is amazing.

"Can I walk you to class?"

She almost chokes, coughing lightly before swallowing her food. No one's every asked her that before. Then again, she's always liked assholes. Assholes with pretty eyes and bad reputations. Or assholes with nice hair and bad manners. She isn't used to someone being sweet to her.

"Nevermind," he says in a defeated tone, sighing and begins to walk away.

"Wait!" She calls, hurrying to catch up with him; she grabs his elbow, stopping him in his tracks, and says, "Of course you can walk me to class."

He smiles widely and does just that.

*****

After that she finds him outside of her dorm building every morning. Sometimes bringing her breakfast (a bagel or a pop tart), sometimes he brings her coffee (a mocha, her favorite flavor) and sometimes he brings both.

She doesn't really talk during the walk, just listens to him while eating or drinking. She loves listening to his voice. She missed hearing it. She missed his laughter, his smiles, his eyes, his mannerisms, and _this _Justin, the Justin that becomes more of _her_ Justin everyday has all of these things in common with her brother.

The walks only take ten, fifteen minutes tops, but it's the best time of her day, the time she looks forward to most.

*****

"Want to come over to my place this weekend?" He asks during their walk one day, a few days before Halloween. "I could help you study for that science test you've been worried about."

She supposes she should put more thought into her answer, take some time to make her decision, gnaw on her lip and make him squirm, but she doesn't, instead she blurts out 'yes' and ignores his cocky grin.

Sometimes he can be a jerk, but she's willing to look past that.

*****

It takes her freaking forever to decide what to wear. She lays out her clothes on her small bed, staring at them, trying to find something. She has an hour until she's supposed to be at Justin's and she still needs to shower.

And that's when Abby finds her (of course). "Ooh!" Abby exclaims giddily (god, maybe Alex should've kept up the moody, jaded teen thing, Abby was less annoying then), "Are you going on a date?"

Alex rolls her eyes, tries to tame the blush that is rising to her cheeks, "No," she says adamantly.

"Really? Then what exactly are you doing?"

Alex sighs, leaning over to pick up a shirt and then plopping onto her mattress, "Trying to find something to wear." She fiddles with the fabric in her hand, studying it instead of looking at her roommate.

"Well, duh," Abby says, "I can see that. But what are you getting dressed for? Don't you normally just go home during the weekend?"

Alex listens to the sounds Abby's bed makes as the other girl sits down, once the noises stop she looks up and answers, "Yes, but, umm. Well, I need to stay here this weekend, to study."

Abby raises and eyebrow and replies doubtfully, "Really? You couldn't do that at home? And what's with all the clothes? Because normally when one studies they opt for something comfy. And when _you_ study you always put on sweats and some ratty old t-shirt. These," she says waving at the clothes covering Alex's mattress, "Are date clothes."

Alex scoffs, "No they're not, they're just clothes."

Abby's eyebrow rises even higher, almost reaching her hairline.

Alex sighs in frustration, "Okay! Fine, they're date clothes!"

Abby grins triumphantly, "A date with Justin?"

Alex nods, before shrugging unsurely, "Well, I don't know. I mean, he invited me over to study, so it's not really a date, but I do want to look good."

"So he can think about jumping you? And then jumps you?"

Alex fails to keep the blush from rising this time and feels her cheeks turn red hot, and nods meekly, "Yeah, sure, that."

"I'll help," Abby replies shortly before rising from the bed and picking out something for Alex to wear.

*****

She looks _good_ (and she's not just saying that because she's conceited, even if she kind of is), she really does. She's wearing a dark red dress, with short sleeves and a scoop neck with black leggings and black and white checkered flats. Abby told her to keep her hair down and to only put on mascara and Chap Stick. Abby insisted that she looked cute, while still looking casual.

So, Alex is feeling pretty good when she knocks on his door, greeting him with a wide smile (resisting the urge to hug him) and follows him into his tiny apartment.

It's when she sits on the loveseat that she realizes that he actually _is_ going to help her study. She tries not to roll her eyes petulantly and holds back a sigh. His tone turns serious when he opens up the book and she's reminded of her brother.

She decides to make the most of it, making herself comfortable on his couch and soaking in his information.

Oh well, maybe next time.

* * *

A/N: Sorry, it's a filler :/ But it had fluff! Hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter will be more plot driven. Leave a review :)


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_There's a drumming noise inside my head  
That starts when you're around  
I swear that you could hear it  
It makes such an all mighty sound  
Louder than sirens  
Louder than bells  
Sweeter than heaven  
And hotter than hell_

Drumming Song- Florence and the Machine

She swears her mom knows the moment she walks into the Sub Station the weekend after she went to Justin's to study.

Theresa's eyes sparkle in excitement, a dazzling smile playing on her lips. She pulls Alex to her excitedly, squeezing her tight, "Oh, Alex!" She whispers animatedly, "You met a boy!"

Alex tries to scoff, pushing her mother's body away from her own as nicely as possible, "Yeah, okay, mom. And why do you think that? Because I didn't come home last weekend? I told you, I had to study."

Theresa sends her a skeptical look, one eyebrow raised, lips pursed and arms crossed. Damn her mom, that look always makes her cave.

Alex sighs impatiently; she walks briskly past her mother, ignoring the steps that follow behind her. When she reaches the bottom of the stairs her mother calls out, "Happy to have you home!"

Alex rolls her eyes and stomps childishly up the stairs.

*****

Her mom makes one of her favorites for dinner. And cupcakes for dessert. Alex narrows her eyes at her mother from across the table. If she thinks that Alex is going to cave because of some stupid baked ziti and chocolate cupcakes slathered in rich frosting, well, she's wrong.

Maybe.

Alex stabs at her dinner, ignoring her father's concerned look and Max's confused one. Her mother just smiles at her and asks, "So, Alex, anything interesting happen at school lately? Anything your father and I should know about?'

"No, mom," Alex says tightly, her tone catches Jerry's attention and he looks at her worriedly.

"Alex, what did you do?"

Alex can sense her father's sputtering coming and quickly says, "Nothing!" But she half yells it and sounds guilty, even to her own ears.

"Alex…" He starts warningly, face slowly turning red.

She sighs heavily, putting her fork down and resting her head against the palm of her hand, "Nothing, daddy! I swear."

Her mom still has that stupid smile on her face and Alex knows what's coming. Ugh, her mom may think she's helping Alex out but she totally isn't. If anything, that vein on her dad's forehead is going to explode, "Oh, Jerry," Theresa soothes her husband, "Alex is telling the truth, she hasn't done anything wrong."

Jerry relaxes slightly, lifting up his fork and bringing his food to his mouth, "Then what are you two being so secretive about?"

Oh god, Alex really hopes her mom is smart enough to wait until her dad has safely swallowed all of his food. "Alex met a boy!" She says gleefully.

Alex hears her father choking, cringes slightly before turning to her dad and defending her case. And oh, she doesn't think anybody is supposed to be that shade of red. "Mom! You couldn't have waited until he was done chewing?"

Max chimes in, "Whoa! Mom! I think you killed dad!"

Alex rolls her eyes at her brother and gets out of her chair at the same time as her mother; they both stand and pat her father on his back. She isn't sure if this is helping, he's still coughing. Eventually his coughs subside but he's still an unpleasant color. "What boy?" He says through gritted teeth.

Alex sits back down, "Oh god, calm down. So what I've met a boy. I've met a lot of boys at school." Her dad clenches his jaw, hard, she swears she can hear his teeth grinding. Uh-oh. Wrong thing to say. "Not like that! I'm just saying."

Theresa waves her husband off carelessly, sitting back down in her chair, "Oh, Jerry, calm down. It's only normal. She's an eighteen year old girl. It's perfectly fine for her to have a boyfriend."

Alex stares worriedly at her father, biting her lower lip anxiously, "Chill dad, we're just friends." She hates how disappointed she sounds about that fact but, whatever, it's true. He made it clear last week when he droned on and on about Chemistry for four and half hours. Four and half freaking hours! God, her lecture wasn't even that long. He still walked her to class every day but, things seemed awkward between them. There was a tension between them now.

Theresa's eyes soften and she reaches over to grip her daughter's hand momentarily, "Oh, honey, I'm sure he likes you, too. Don't worry, things will work out. You just have to let him know how you feel."

Jerry seems to breathing regularly again, but now seems upset for a completely different reason this time, "Who does he think he is, not liking you? How could he not? You're beautiful, smart, and talented. Is something wrong with him? Huh? Be honest, Alex. Something must be wrong with him if he doesn't like you."

Theresa and Alex both roll their eyes and turn their attention back to each other, "Seriously, don't worry. You just have to let him know. Ask him to do something with you. Go to the movies, something. Ooh!" Alex winces at the unbearable decibel her mother's voice just hit, "I know! Invite him over here for Thanksgiving! If he can put up with a Russo family dinner then he really loves you."

Alex is still rubbing her ear gingerly; she notices her dad and Max mimicking her motion. "Yeah, sure mom," she says finally.

She revels in the silence that occurs once she ends the conversation.

She rubs her ear lightly again, ugh, she's pretty sure her mom blew her right eardrum.

*****

There's snow on the ground the next Monday. Justin is still weird around her, not chattering endlessly like the previous weeks. Instead she's only greeted by the sound of snow crunching under their feet. She sips her coffee greedily; eager to rid herself of the cold that seeps into her bones. She swears, as soon as it turns to November the temperature plummets twenty degrees. She shivers slightly and pulls her coat tighter around her body.

Usually, Justin walks practically on top of her. He's keeping his distance now and she aches for his body heat and closeness. "Hey," she says suddenly, surprising herself, "What are you doing tonight?"

He stiffens for a moment, "Um, nothing?"

She smiles and walks toward him, looping her free arm through his, "Good. I'm coming over."

He tries to protest, opens his mouth to do so, but she lowers her hand, interlacing their gloved hands, and silences him.

*****

It takes her about twenty minutes, but she finds it. She smiles at the DVD case in her hand, tracing the letters in the title. She used to watch this all the time. It's one of her favorites, even if she doesn't speak the language. That's what the subtitles are for, duh.

Justin never understood her obsession with it. She tried to explain it, made him sit down and watch it with her countless times. He was always too critical. Analyzing every little detail. "How can you watch this?" He would always ask. "Pictures can't talk. Don't people realize that? Yet, these people talk back to them."

She would roll her eyes, "This is coming from the guy that watches movies where people fight with flashlights?"

His lips would disappear into a thin line and his jaw would clench, "_Lightsabers_, Alex. Lightsabers."

She would shrug and turn her attention back to the events occurring on their small television screen, "Whatever."

She hopes that this Justin will be quiet and just enjoy the movie.

*****

He lets her in after one knock, hell; she still had her hand up in the air when the door flew open. Someone seems eager for tonight. He's smiling at her, he's a little tense, but he seems much more relaxed than he has the past couple weeks.

"Hi," she says merrily, her lips curling up in response to his.

"Hey," he replies, his shoulders sagging as more tension leaves his body.

He lets her into the apartment, helping her out of her coat before hanging it up in the cramped hallway closet. She follows him to the living room, handing him the DVD. He looks at the case curiously, scanning the title with his eyes before opening the case and taking out the DVD.

He sits down next to her, remote in hand and fast forwards to the Menu. Once there he clicks play and Alex makes herself comfortable. She can't contain the grin on her face as the movie starts. This movie always makes her so freaking happy.

She can feel Justin tense next to her when the naked woman appears on screen. She doesn't look at him, but she knows he's blushing. Her brother always did that, too. She doesn't understand why. It's just a body. Maybe, that's the artist in her, she's never really been bothered by nudity, instead always finds the beauty in the nude human form.

He loosen ups once again after that. And tenses all over again during the orgasms scene. Alex laughs, she can't help it, "Chill, Justin, they're just having sex. It's okay."

He shoots her a glare but takes her advice. They make it through the movie without much incidence after that. He only talks when he has a question about a character, asking their name, what their history is, what Amelie is doing to help them. She tells him patiently, this is so much easier than it was watching it with her brother.

The movie passes by quickly, probably because she enjoys it so much, and she feels a warmth in her belly during the final scene between Nino and Amelie. She always does.

Justin shifts next to her, inching closer and closer to her. She doesn't pay him much attention because this is her favorite part, but she may cut him if he moves again in the next five minutes. She watches intently as Amelie kisses the corner of Nino's mouth, then kisses his pulse on his neck and ends kissing his left eyebrow. She sighs happily; this part turns her into a sappy girl. Every time.

Justin moves again and she turns to yell at him, because, is he kidding? Can he not tell that Nino is about to kiss Amelie? He shushes her before she gets the words out, kissing the corner of her mouth. Butterflies erupt in her stomach and her pulse quickens. "What are you doing?" She asks quietly when he brushes his nose against her neck, kissing her pulse.

"Shh," he says, running his nose across her cheek. She closes her eyes, sighs breathlessly, preparing herself for what's next. Sure enough, seconds later his lips are on eyebrow.

She opens her eyes, finds his grey ones staring at her intently. She nods, giving him all the permission he needs and seconds later she feels his lips on her own. Their chapped, but soft and warm and after a few seconds he runs his tongue over her lips.

She kisses him back fervently, moaning into his mouth and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Well, her mom was right.

But, she's not going to tell her that.

She smiles against Justin's lips and loses herself in the kiss. She'll ask him about Thanksgiving later.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews. Hope you leave one. :)


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_Cradle me  
I'll cradle you  
I'll win your heart  
With a whoop-a-woo  
Pulling shapes just for your eyes  
So with toothpaste kisses and lines  
I'll be yours and you'll be...  
Lay with me  
I'll lay with you  
We'll do the things that lovers do  
Put the stars in our eyes  
And with heart-shaped bruises  
And late-night kisses divine_

Toothpaste Kisses- The Maccabees

He agreed to come to Thanksgiving dinner. After some persuasion, which, now she could properly do. She stayed at his house that night after _Amelie_ finished, and after they stopped making out. Not that she's complaining. Because, she's totally not.

Things between them become less and less awkward. She assumes he was only weird with her for that week because he wasn't sure what was going on between them. She blames it on the study session they had. She assumed it was a date. He _really_ invited her over to study. And well. You know, they both assumed, and proceeded to make asses out of themselves.

Whatever, things are good between them now. And so what if Abby is always sending her 'I told you so' smirks? So what if her mom won't shut up about it and keeps gloating? Alex blows them off. For the most part. Because, hey, she's happy now.

And if she's perfectly honest, she hasn't been even close to happy since that night in her and Justin's makeshift shelter in the middle of the Caribbean.

But she tries not to think about that. Tries to reassure herself that she's exceedingly happy with _this_ Justin. Even though he's not her brother.

*****

She chews on her lip nervously, running her hands through her hair, she doesn't care if it makes it static and frizzy (maybe she cares a little; it did take forever to straighten it). He should be here by now. He's never this late. He's never freaking _late_.

"Hey," she hears him say, slightly out of breath from behind her. She turns toward him, letting out a relieved sigh.

"There you are!" She smiles at him, wraps her arms around him and hugs him tightly.

He grins in return, bends down slightly to kiss her cheek, "Sorry, I had to stop by my parent's house. My mom refused to let me come to your parent's empty handed," he lifts a brown grocery bag, "She baked apple pie, insisted that I share it with your family."

"Aww," she coos, stepping toward him, grabbing the lapels of his coat and bringing him near her, "That's so sweet," he blushes slightly, which is effing adorable, she grins and pulls him down for a proper kiss. He pulls away before it gets too 'inappropriate', as he would say. He really hates PDA. Well, extreme forms of it. He told her he thinks it's disgusting to see strangers shoving their tongues down each other's throats (honestly, it is really gross, she never understood it either).

She reaches down, clasping his hand and leads him to the loft.

*****

She swears, if they do anything embarrassing, she will disown them. She can do that, can't she? Whatever, she'll totally stop talking to them. She likes Justin. A lot. Maybe more than that. Maybe she even loves him, not like she's going to tell him that. Not yet at least.

She's pleased to see that her dad and Max are watching football and her mom and Harper are preparing food in the kitchen. Harper hears them the minute the door closes (seriously, Harper has to have better hearing than a dog, Alex swears). Soon enough, Harper is rushing to Alex, enveloping her in a hug. "Alex!" She squeals and for once Alex doesn't cringe, doesn't care that she may now be hard of hearing in her left ear; instead she wraps her arms tightly around her best friend, a huge grin on her face.

"Ohmygosh!" Harper says once she pulls away, holding Alex's face in her hands, "I missed you so much!" She hugs Alex again for emphasis.

After the friends have been reunited, Alex introduces Harper to Justin. Harper greets him cheerfully, turning to Alex afterwards and whispering in her ear, "He is _cute_! If you weren't dating him, I totally would have called dibs. Well, if you hadn't, of course."

Alex snickers and wraps her arms around Harper's neck loosely in a side hug, "Oh, I love you, Harper," she says loudly, earning a grin from Justin as he watches the exchange. When Alex pulls away from her friend she finds the rest of her family patiently (sort of) waiting to be introduced to her boyfriend (ha, she can say that now, in fact, he _insists _that she does). She grabs Justin's hand, walking toward her father, eager to introduce the two (sort of, her dad's right eye is kind of twitching, and it's kind of freaking her out). "Dad, this is Justin, Justin, this is my dad," she watches as Justin offers his hand with a sincere smile and bright eyes and cringes slightly when her dad almost breaks Justin's hand.

"You like sports?" Her dad asks gruffly, trying to seem tougher than he actually is. She rolls her eyes. Justin turns back to her with a questioning look, and oh crap, they should've gone over this. If he says he's a Yankees fan her dad will kill him. No questions asked.

"Uh, yeah," Justin says hesitantly, "I don't watch a lot though, just baseball with my dad," Jerry raises an eyebrow. Oh, shit. "We're _huge_ Mets fans."

Alex lets out a sigh of relief when her dad grins at Justin approvingly. Jerry glances at her, nodding at her, silently confirming that he likes Justin. Well, the worst part is over now.

Theresa hugs Justin tightly, telling him how nice it is to meet him, how handsome he is, what a cute couple he and Alex make. And then discretely hints about grandchildren. Alex sighs; closing her eyes in mortification, and ignores the giggles that escape Harper.

Max barely greets him, offering a half hearted 'hey' before asking Theresa if dinner is done yet.

Moments later they're all seated at the table, passing around the dishes and chatting to one another. Once everyone has food on their plates, Theresa begins the questioning.

"How old are you, Justin?" Is asked before a forkful of potatoes.

"Uh, twenty," he replies.

"And how did you and Alex meet?"

Justin looks at Alex. How do they tell this story? She assaulted him? Forced him onto her bed? (Dad would hate that one). Ooh! How about the almost rape story and how he saved her? (Dad would pull her out of school). Luckily, Justin must have had these same thoughts, "We bumped into each other," he says simply.

Theresa smiles brightly, "Oh! That's how I met Jerry!" And Theresa dives into the story of how she and Jerry met.

Justin smiles knowingly and takes a bite of his turkey.

*****

She's exhausted by time dinner is finished, she leans heavily against the wall outside the loft door, "Oh my god, I am so sorry, Justin. I told them to behave. Believe me. They never listen though." She has her eyes closed as she says this, trying to block out the day she just experienced.

Justin chuckles and leans closer to her, brushing the hair back from her face and kissing both her cheeks, "It's fine, Alex. You're parents are really funny. I love them. I promise. And I can't wait to come back for Christmas."

Alex opens her eyes, is greeted by Justin's bright grey ones and his smiling face, "Really?" She asks, trying to contain her excitement because seriously, her mom was right, if he can make it through a Russo dinner, he really does like her. And if he's willing to subject himself to more, well, he must love her.

His grin grows and he kisses the tip of her nose, "Really."

* * *

A/N: You are all awesome. Please continue to be so.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_If you could only see the beast you've made of me  
I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free  
Screaming in the dark, I howl when we're apart  
Drag my teeth across your chest to taste your beating heart  
My fingers claw your skin, try to tempt my way in  
You are the moon that makes the night for which I have to howl_

Howl- Florence and the Machine

Soon, November ends, and with the beginning of December comes more snow and Alex's first college exams. She studies with Justin (no, really, they actually do study) and winter break arrives. She skillfully (well, sort of) dodged her mother's invitation to spend the weeks off at the loft. She made up some BS story about staying Abby. She heard a little bit of skepticism in her mother's voice but whatever, she's nineteen and if she wants to stay with her boyfriend, she can. She just isn't going to tell her mother about it (the first sex talk was awkward enough, no need to go through that again).

She tries to hide her grin from Abby as she packs her duffle bag after her last final but, she can't. Her relationship with Justin is blossoming and it's good and comfortable and she loves it. She loves him.

Abby only teases her a little, insisting that Alex pack her more risqué nightclothes, Alex rolls her eyes at her roommate and makes a show of packing her customary pajamas (including her favorite sock monkey pajama bottoms and brown tank top that may be a little too small for her now).

Once she's packed and ready for the cold outside, she hugs Abby tightly, wishing the girl a happy holiday (she's Jewish), and ignores one last innuendo that Abby manages to get out. She smacks the girl playfully on the shoulder and leaves the dorm to find Justin waiting outside. He takes her bag (because he's a gentleman, even if he denies it) and they hold hands as they walk to his place.

She stands nervously in his living room, slowly removing her coat, gloves, hat and boots (oh god, get over yourself) and he takes her bag into his bedroom. He comes back in the living room and cups her freezing, rosy red cheeks, "Hey," he says, and kisses the corner of her mouth. Some of the anxiety leaves her body and she smiles at him.

"Hello," she replies, still smiling at him. He's rubbing soothing circles on the apples of her cheeks with his thumbs, grinning in return. He leans down and kisses her again, harder this time. She returns his kiss eagerly, moaning into his mouth and reaching up to run her fingers through his hair.

She immerses herself in his affections and realizes that everything is going to be okay.

*****

They don't really do much during her weeks there. Mostly talk. Sometimes they watch movie. They cook their meals together. They make out on various surfaces of his apartment. They even study (he insists, even batting her lashes doesn't get her out of it). Her favorite part of the day is when they go to bed and he wraps her up tight from behind, nuzzling his nose against her neck.

It never fails to bring a smile to her face.

*****

He gives her his gift on Christmas Eve, insisting that she open it, that he can't wait until tomorrow. She grins, sitting crossed leg on his bed in her sock monkey pajamas and her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

When he pulls out a little blue box with white ribbon, she almost forgets to breathe. Holy shit, no way. She studies the box further, realizing that while it is small, it's too big to be containing ring. "Oh, wow," she says when he places the gift in her hand with a pleased smile on his face, "Thank you."

He laughs and the sound makes her stomach do a funny flip, "You haven't even opened it yet."

She scoffs lightly, "Yeah, well, it's in a Tiffany's box, I'm pretty sure whatever it is, it's something really _good_." At least it's way better than the gift certificate to his favorite story and the painting she planned on giving him.

He shakes his head, ignoring her comments, "Come on, open it." And she does because he's so excited and his eyes are shining and that smile is about to split his face.

It's a necklace. Okay, that's using the term loosely. It's a key pendant, with an eight petal flower resting in the bow. At the end of each petal rests a small diamond, and another diamond rests in the center of the flower. Her eyes trace the silver stem and stop at the bit, where four more diamonds sit. "Holy shit," she says aloud, and she may or not be breathless.

He's still proud of himself, eyes light and that grin still on his face, "It's white gold. I know how you feel about gold and how it looks gaudy."

Oh my god, she thinks, she thought it was just silver, "Justin, I can't accept this, it's too much."

He scoffs and takes the necklace from her, he shifts on the bed until he sits behind her and fastens the necklace on her neck, "None sense," he whispers in her ear, kissing her just below her ear. He places his hands on her shoulders, running his hands down her arms slowly, "Think of it as the key to my heart," she mentally rolls her eyes and bites back her smile, only he could be that cheesy and it actually be cute.

She turns to face him, cupping his cheek, she kisses him softly, "Well, if that's all it is."

He smiles and kisses her neck, whispering in her ear, "I love you."

She smiles, like she never has before, because she's never felt like this before and says, "I love you, too."

*****

Her mom must have, like, gold radar, or something, the first thing she notices when Justin removes Alex's coat is the jewelry that rest on her chest. "Beautiful necklace," she says when she hugs her daughter.

Alex blushes and murmurs a thank you, fiddling with the pendant on the chain.

Justin hits it off with Max this time, the two chatting easily about god knows what. Justin sits with Jerry for a while, discussing politics and sports, and whatever else guys talk about. And Justin compliments Theresa on her dinner. Theresa flushes slightly and thanks him.

Gifts are exchanged and Alex's childhood stories are told.

It's the best Christmas she's had in years.

*****

They spend New Year's with Justin's friends. Drinking a little too much wine (but, whatever, she freaking loves wine) and dance to music they don't like. As the night goes on and they grow more and more intoxicated, they just sway together, ignoring those around them.

They count down until the New Year, shouting with their companions and cheering when the ball drops, they kiss each other at midnight.

The chill of their walk home sobers them up and when they reach his apartment, Alex only has one thing in mind.

She jumps him when he closes the door, wrapping her legs around his waist and kisses him. He loses his balance for a second, before securing his arm around her back and kisses her back eagerly. She soon finds herself pinned against the wall in his tiny hallway, their coats and gloves have been removed and he's cupping her breast over her dress. She groans into his mouth and he increases his pressure, runs his thumb over her nipple, making it harden.

His lips leave hers and she greedily sucks in air as his lips trail down her jaw and neck. His hand leaves her breast, running down her body, tracing her curves before they creep up her thigh, under her dress, his fingers brush her center and she gasps.

"Justin," she moans.

He shushes her, kissing her quickly on her mouth as he removes her panties and removes enough of his own clothing to continue their actions. He slips two fingers in her, letting out a groan of his own when he feels how wet she is, "Are you sure?" He asks, continuing to pump his fingers in and out of her. And sweet Jesus, she didn't know he could sound like that, all husky, and well, he sounds like sex, and how does she say no now?

She nods. That's all he needs and soon he's sinking into her, groaning loudly and grits his teeth, "Jesus, you're tight." He buries his face in the crook of her neck. She runs her hands up his back, under his shirt, gripping his shoulders as he thrusts into her. He's breathing hard, his hot breath expelling on her neck, when he gets close he lowers a hand to her center, rubbing her clit until she comes, squeezing his shoulders tightly, and moaning his name quietly. He comes seconds later, gritting his teeth and letting out a strangled, "Alex."

He stays in her for a moment as they both catch their breaths. She kisses his neck, her hands now resting in his hair. He kisses her shoulder before pulling out of her and lowering her gently to the ground. He pulls his pants back on and buttons them up.

"Good job," she says happily, a content smile on her face, she giggles, leaning into his chest and wrapping her arms around him.

He snorts and returns her embrace, kissing the top of her head, "We both did a good job."

She stiffens at his words and pulls back from him, the smile has left her face, along with the color that just flushed her cheeks, "What did you say?" She asks quietly. She runs it through her head again, _"We both did a good job," she says sincerely, for maybe the first time in her life, looking up at her older brother._

Their moment was ruined, by that man that went with them. That failed magician.

He catches on to her tone, his own happiness leaving him, "Alex, please, don't."

And she knows. Knows that it's her brother.

It's been _her _Justin the entire time.

* * *

A/N: Oh no! I think I stopped too soon. As my friends and I say constantly, shit is about to get real. Lol. Seriously, though, I love all of you. And please review!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_It was you breathless and tall  
I could feel my eyes turning into dust  
And two strangers turning into dust  
Turning into dust_

Into Dust- Mazzy Star

She's taking in too much air, close to hyperventilating, she sinks, crumpling to the floor, her feet no longer able to support her. She needs to think, focus on what just happened, what he just said, what he just confirmed. But her brain is having a hard processing it, doesn't want to process it.

He falls with her, sitting on the opposite side of the hall, his legs brushing hers, and she wants to pull away, remove herself from him and his lies but, a part of her (a huge part of her, that she's now fighting with) relishes in his body heat, in the fabric of his pants rubbing against her bare legs.

"Breathe, Alex," he says slowly, like he's comforting a child, "Take a deep breath, hold it, and release. Can you do that?"

She shakes her head no, still gasping for breath, she's becoming more and more lightheaded, knows that if she doesn't catch her breath she's going to pass out.

He scoots closer to her, his now bended knees brushing her skin he takes her hand gently and brings it to his chest, "Breathe," he repeats, exaggerating his own breathing, he inhales deeply, pauses, and exhales, "Like this," he says, "Like me, breathe like me, Alex."

She focuses on the rise and fall of his chest, works to copy and eventually does, the lightheadedness leaves her and she can think properly. Her mouth is dry and she licks her lips before she talks to him, "How long have you known?" She asks quietly, her voice hoarse, she wants to be mad. She wants to scream and yell at him, tell him she hates him, that she never wants to see him again, wants to slap him. She tries to summon her anger, and while she's upset, she just can't do it.

She loves him too much.

He clears his throat and looks away from her, his knee bumping her shoulder, she doesn't miss the tears in his eyes, even if he's trying to hide it, "Two years," he answers.

She widens her eyes at this, wow; she thought that he had only known for a few weeks, tops. But, two years? She's left with so many questions. She furrows her brow and tilts her head to the side, "Why didn't you come find me? You've known for two years? You knew where the loft was, right?" She sees him nod, she sighs, "Why didn't you come find me?" Her voice is so quiet, so unlike Alex and she isn't quite sure what to make of it.

He turns back to her, his eyes full of moisture, disrupting her view of his grey eyes, "I wanted to. I did, Alex. Believe me. I thought about you every day. Wondered how you were doing. But, I couldn't, I couldn't make myself go and talk to you."

She shakes her head in disbelief, "But why? Didn't you know how scared I was? I was so _lost_ without you, Justin. I had no idea what was going on. I thought I did the right thing, wishing for everything to be exactly the way it was, and when I got back to that beach, you weren't there and no one knew who you were. I went crazy." She stops when a lump forms in her throat and she can't swallow it. She doesn't try to stop her tears, knew that it was only a matter of time before she lost it.

He sighs childishly, "And you think it was easy for me? Waking up in a house I had never been in? With siblings I didn't know? Parents I couldn't recognize? Living in a world without magic?"

"You had a choice, Justin! You remembered us, where we were, you could've come to _us_. We would've found a way to fix it."

"I didn't want to!" He yells and she flinches at his tone, he's never been this angry, about anything (and she's seen him all sort of pissed off but, he's never once scared her, not like he is now).

He notices her movement and his expression softens, "I'm sorry," he says, his voice still tense, "It's just," he pauses, lowering his head to rest on his bended knees. She hesitantly reaches for him, putting her hand under his shirt and gently rubbing the smooth expanse of his back.

"What, Justin? Why couldn't you come to us?"

"I didn't want to," he replies, his voice muffled, he lifts his head to look at her, "I couldn't."

His eyes are red-rimmed now and she's never seen her Justin like this. "Why?" She still doesn't understand, it would've been so simple for him to come to them.

"Because I loved you. Did you know that? I've loved you since I was fifteen I realized that I loved you, that I wanted to touch you, wrap you up in my arms, bury my face in your hair, hold your hand, comfort you, cup your cheeks and kiss the corner of your mouth. I wanted to make love to you; I wanted to be with you in so many ways. I wanted to have you in all the ways I couldn't."

She doesn't say anything, she can't, her mouth is slightly agape and she feels like a dork because she can't close it but, Jesus Christ, how was she supposed to know all this? She never would have even suspected.

"I remember forgetting you," he lets out a humorless chuckle, "That sounds weird but, I remember. I remember standing in front of this beautiful girl, this beautiful, crying girl and I wanted nothing more than to hug her and tell her everything would be alright. And then you said I was your brother, I couldn't believe it, didn't want to believe it. It was just _wrong_. It was wrong to be related to you. I didn't want it. I remember being pulled away but, I could still see you, could still hear you. I saw your mom throwing you the stone. Could hear you saying your spells. But, I didn't want them. I prayed they wouldn't come true. So when you made your wish, I made on, too. I wished that things would go back to the way they were _supposed_ to be. I wanted a world where I could have you as mine."

Wow, if that's not the sweetest thing that's ever been said to her, she isn't sure what to say, so she goes with safe approach, the one that they're most familiar with, her brow creases, "But how could your wish come true? I was the one holding the stone."

He shrugs, "I don't know. I wished harder? My wish was the easier one? It was the right one? What do you want me to say? It was magic, it's not really for us to understand, sometimes you get the result you desired, other times the spell screws up because it's faulty, it's not supposed to work. I don't know. I don't understand any of it anymore. Not after that."

She accepts his answer, it's Justin, and he's probably right, like usual. And honestly, it's not like they can go to her dad, how the hell would they even tell him?"

She remembers the day she first saw him, the way he reacted, "How did you do it, that first day? Pretend you didn't know me?"

He offers her a small smile, "Practice. Once I realized that my wish had come true I came up with a plan. I was going to pretend not to know you, slowly gain your trust, get you to love me."

She should be so pissed at him, manipulating her like that but, she's not. If she's honest with herself, she's felt things for Justin she shouldn't, even when they were still siblings. Sometimes she longed to shut him up by pushing him down and kissing him, sometimes she hugged him a little too long, stared at him a little too hard when he was in his swimming trunks. If she were put in the same situation, she probably would have done the same thing.

She smirks slightly, "That's a very Alex thing of you to do. That still doesn't explain your doucheness that day. You were such a dick to me, and so cocky. What was that about?"

He shrugs again, "I just assumed that's what you went for. Do you remember the guys you dated in high school?"

She snorts, "Unfortunately."

Their quiet for a moment, she removes her hand from his skin and leans back against the wall, "I'm still pissed at you. You lied to me. You left me alone with all this shit. I—" she takes a deep breath, looks at him full on, "I want to forgive you. I just, I need some time, okay? I need time to think, okay?"

He looks surprised but nods, "Yeah, sure." He sounds relieved and she almost wants to laugh.

To be honest, she's surprised, too. But, whatever, maybe she's growing up. Or something. Don't get her wrong, she is so pissed at him. It's going to take a lot to get her trust back. But, she's sure he knows that.

He stands, he helps her up and together they go to his bedroom, where he helps her pack. They agree to wait until morning for her to go to her dorm, so he sleeps on the cramped couch, after insisting that she take the bed.

Tomorrow, they'll figure this out.

* * *

A/N: You. Are. Amazing. All of you. Thank you so much for your reviews! hates me today. So, sorry for the delay. Also, I had an entirely different chapter written but deleted it, it just didn't work for me, I wasn't proud of it, and I don't want to post chapters that I'm not proud of. Please, let me know what you think.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

**A/N: If you didn't read the "new" chapter 13, please go back and do so, it completely changes the story.**

_Hey boy wont you take me out tonight  
I'm not afraid of all the reasons why we shouldn't try  
Hey boy won't you make me out tonight  
I get excited when I think of crawling into your arms_

My Love- The Bird and the Bee

He walks her back to her dorm in the morning, helping her with her bags, they don't say much; just glance at each other superstitiously. She wants to be mad at him. She's still waiting for her rage to build, waiting to hate him and the urge to slap him. She keeps trying to summon some sort of anger but, she can't.

And it's probably because it's Justin. Honestly, if it were any other guy, she would've smacked him, would've screamed, would've left without a second thought, would've went back to her dorm and cried herself to sleep, and while there is still a chance that she will go back to her dorm and cry, she doesn't think any of those other things will happen.

She's pissed; he lied to her, left her to deal with all of this shit on her own for two years but, is she upset about the reason behind it? Probably not. There was always something _off_ in their relationship when they were brother and sister. A tension that wasn't supposed to be there.

All Justin did was try to make things right, sure, it was in a fucked up, douche filled way but, his heart was in the right place.

He doesn't go into the building with her, tells her goodbye, he makes a movement, like he wants to hug her but, he doesn't, just waves awkwardly and leaves. She watches his retreating figure for a moment before turning to the building and taking comfort in its heat.

*****

Abby takes a step back when she enters their dorm the next day, her forehead crease and she purses her lips, Alex begins to turn away, tossing on the bed and facing the wall. She does not want to have this conversation right now.

"You're back early, aren't you?" Abby asks, "Everything all right?"

Alex stares ahead resolutely at her wall, good lord, it's a really ugly color, how did she not notice that before?

"Alex?" Abby tries again, and Alex can hear the floorboards creak under her feet, can feel her staring at her back.

"I'm fine," she says tightly, eyes still glued to the wall.

She feels her bed sink under Abby's weight and tries not to flinch when Abby places a hand on her shoulder, she doesn't want comfort, doesn't need it (well, she doesn't _want _ to want it, doesn't _want _ to need it), "Hon," she hears Abby say softly, "What happened? Why aren't you still at Justin's?"

Alex stiffens, feels her throat tighten up and knows that she's about to cry, goddamn it, "We're on a break," she murmurs quietly, Abby doesn't hear her whisper and she has to repeat, "We're on a break," she says again, her voice cracking on the word 'break'.

Abby gasps and Alex rolls her eyes slightly, it's not that big of a deal, okay, maybe it is, but, whatever. "Why?"

Alex turns to look at her roommate, "Look, it's sweet that you care and all but, really, it's none of your business, and I don't want to tell you. It's between Justin and me. Not, you, Justin and me. I'd really just like to wallow right now, alright? If you'd like to help me with that, feel free. But, don't expect any details."

Abby's eyes grow wide and she distances herself from Alex, she seems taken aback for a second, opening and closing her mouth, "Uh, yeah, sure. Okay. Um, movies and ice cream?"

Alex offers her a small smile, "Yes, please. That would be amazing."

So, they sit in their tiny dorm, watching _Practical Magic, The Notebook,_ and _Where the Heart Is _(Abby suggested that they watch _Clueless, _no way was Alex doing that) on Abby's small TV, eating Blue Moon ice cream. And for a few hours, she forgets.

*****

He still walks her to class, not every day like he did before, just a couple times a week but, it's nice. They talk about classes and the weather, not much else. Their relationship is awkward right now. He knows that he fucked up; she knows that she should be pissed.

But, she's isn't. Not really. She's more so upset with herself. She hates how her heart rate increases when she sees him waiting for her, hates that she wants to walk a little closer to him, hates that she wants to say goodbye to him with a kiss and not wave. She shouldn't even want to be around him, should she? She shouldn't be this forgiving. Alex Russo is not that forgiving. She holds grudges. She throws fits.

So, why is she handling this so well? Why does she want to give so badly?

Okay, so, she knows it's because she loves him, or whatever.

But still, it'd be nice to have the urge to slap him, just once.

*****

By February, things are still the same between them, they're still not dating, and gradually their relationship is losing some of its awkwardness.

And Abby is fed up with both of them, "Seriously?!" She exclaims when she comes home from class on Valentine's Day and finds Alex, lying on the bed, staring at her necklace that Justin bought her for Christmas.

Abby's yells startle Alex and she almost falls off the bed, "Jesus!" She replies, hand over her racing heart, "What the hell is your problem?"

Abby narrows her eyes slightly, places her hands on her hips, oh shit, Alex knows what is coming, "My problem? I don't have one. You, on the other hand, you certainly do. So what? He lied to you. Get over it; if you were really that pissed at him, you would've broken up with him. You would've yelled, you would've thrown shoes at him, you would've told him you hated him and never wanted to see him again. Did you do any of those things, Alex?"

Alex shakes her head slowly, Jesus, Abby really scares her sometimes, she's like Harper with more attitude and balls.

"That's right, you didn't. Instead, you took a 'break', you didn't put him in any danger, didn't even threaten to, and then you walk with him class!"

Well, she does have a point.

"You bet I do!" Oh god, did she say that out loud? She hates when she does that, "Obviously, you still love him and obviously he's still crazy about you. I swear, Alex, if I see him with his puppy dog eyes and that miserable little half smile again, I will punch you in the face.

Abby inhales deeply, smiling at brightly at Alex, "Now, you're going to get off that bed, stop staring at that overly priced, yet, beautiful necklace, stop moping and get your ass ready, do you understand? I want you out of this dorm and I don't want to see your face until you've been properly sexed, okay?"

Well, alright then.

* * *

A little more lighthearted, hope you enjoyed, let me know what you think. Thank you!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_Red fingernail polish  
Peeling like a sunburn, oh  
That black designer dress  
Looks better underneath our feet  
Your knees on the dirt_

What Gets You Off- Jack's Mannequin

Abby spends the next hour coaxing Alex out of bed, picking out a dress for her to wear and rushes around the small dorm gathering make up and other 'supplies' she may or may not need.

Alex is totally against the idea, she is completely fine with going to his apartment in jeans and a comfortable, yet cute sweater (sweet Jesus, it is February and freaking _cold_), with her hair pulled back and a clean face, because, let's face it, it's Justin and he loves her no matter what, and he's already seen her in every imaginable state, what the hell is one little black dress going to do?

And then Abby shows her the dress, and okay, maybe she gets where she's going with this.

Alex is sort of into to fashion or whatever, but lately, she's been dressing more for comfort than anything else (mainly because she's a broke college kid, but, whatever). But, this dress, well, to use a term she hasn't used since eighth grade, rocks her socks off.

It's a black, silk dress, with a plunging neckline (that also carries on to the back, and good god, if Justin has a difficult time, she may hit him, it's just a zipper) that's covered in black lace. The skirt of the dress is tiered, ruffled organza. It ends just before her knees and feels amazing. She tries not to smile about it, but does and Abby smirks at her, clearly saying 'I told you so' in her head. Alex wants to roll her eyes, but doesn't have the ambition to, for once; she's kind of alright with being told what to do.

Abby convinces Alex to wear her hair down (and she won't let Alex straighten it, insists on leaving the natural curls alone), which drives Alex nuts, but, well, Abby is scary, so she's going along with it.

Finally, Alex is deemed ready and is allowed to leave the dorm. Abby hands her a charcoal colored pea coat and urges her out the door. "Seriously?" Alex says (and she may or may not be whining, but it's _freezing _outside), "You do realize that it's, like, negative twenty out, right?"

Abby rolls her eyes, "Put the damn coat on, Alex, you'll be fine," she shrugs, "Walk fast. Or something," she slowly pushes Alex's towards the door. She rubs Alex's shoulders in a soothing manner, "You'll be fine, you guys have done this before, right?"

Alex nods, "Yeah, once."

Abby's eyes widen, "Once?" she shakes her head in disbelief, "Holy shit, girl, go, now. Bye!" She finishes cheerfully.

*****

Alex stares at the door to the dorm across the hall for a moment before she turns to the right and heads down the stairs that lead to the main exit.

She takes Abby's advice, walking quickly, because, well, she's anxious, and excited, and scared, and it's really _effing_ cold. When Justin's apartment building is in sight, she picks up speed, almost slipping on an unsalted area of the sidewalk.

She rushes up the stairs (which is really hard and stupid because Abby put in her in goddamn heels).

She catches her breath once she's at his door, smoothes her hair, tries to control herself and calm down. It's fine, right? It's Justin. _Her_ Justin. She knows him and he knows her and this will work out just fine because they're _them_.

She knocks on the door tentatively and moments later he opens it, surprise evident on his face and he leans against the door, "Alex?" He questions, like it's hard to believe that she's here (and okay, maybe it's okay for him to be slightly surprised by her unannounced visit, but he should ecstatic, not questioning), "Is everything alright?" He glances around the hall, looking for some unknown danger that may be lurking behind her.

She rolls her eyes and holds back a laugh, her lips curl into a smile and she replies, "I'm fine. Uh, is it okay if I come in?"

He nods once, opening the door wider and allowing her in, he shuts the door once she's fully in the hall and helps remove her coat. She closes her eyes when his fingers graze her bare arms and bites her lip. She hears him swallow heavily after her coat is completely off and she smirks, she so owes Abby after this.

She turns around, finds him avoiding looking at her body, his eyes determinedly focused on her face, "What did you wa—" She doesn't let him finish, just wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him down for a kiss. He doesn't respond at first, he must be surprised or confused, or something, after a second his lips are moving against hers.

His hands are on her waist, his fingers digging into her flesh gently. He pulls away, breathing hard, tries to think of something to say. Alex doesn't really want any of that right now, Justin's always spent way too much time thinking and she doesn't understand why he can't just _go with it_, she continues to kiss his jaw, her hand moving up to play with his hair.

"Alex, what are you doing, are you sure you want to do this?"

She pulls away, sending him an incredulous look, "Do I often do things I don't want to, Justin?" She studies his features until he finally agrees. Honestly, he is so dense sometimes. She doesn't get to ponder this thought much longer because soon Justin is picking her up, and carrying her into his bedroom.

He places her on the bed gently, like she's some frail, revered being. He makes quick work of removing his clothes and soon works on hers. Bending at the end of the bed, carefully removing her heels and running his hands up her calves (she tries not to let out a breathy moan, because, it's just her freaking leg, but whatever, she missed him), he turns her so she's resting on her stomach, traces the outline of the dress, slowly running his hand down her zipper until he's pulling it down (and success! He did not struggle). He places a kiss in the middle of her back before he helps her turn to rest on her back. He removes her dress carefully, kissing her newly exposed flesh.

He cups her breast tenderly, runs his thumbs over her nipples before replacing his fingers with his mouth and tongue, she moans quietly, placing her hand in his hair, forcing him to keep his head where she wants it.

His right hand travels down her torso, skimming her belly button, and grazes her thighs until his fingers reach her center, he rubs her clit with his thumb and she lets out a groan, "Justin, come one," she barely gets out. He stops his current ministrations which both relieves and frustrates her.

He doesn't retort, just kisses her hard. Seconds later, he's thrusts into her, earning loud moans from both of them. They continue, rocking back and forth until they both come.

He pulls her to his side when they catch their breath, wrapping his arm around her tight. She rests her head on his chest, relishing in the steady beat of his heart under her ear.

He kisses her forehead, "Thank you," he says quietly, which may be weird to say after sex, but she's pretty sure he's thanking her for forgiving him, for giving him another chance.

She squeezes him as best as she can, "You're welcome."

* * *

A/N: Sorry, not much plot. Mostly, well, sex, lol. We'll get back to story next chapter. Hope you enjoyed! Please review!


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_It seems like every story told about us isn't meant to be  
You fly on wings of gold all the way back home to me  
But what I'm thinking of just this time  
Why don't you lay your head down in my arms, in my arms_

Lay Your Head Down- Keren Ann

When she wakes, it's with her head nestled on his chest, her legs entwined with his, and a smile on her face. (She should hate the fact that she's slowing becoming some sort of harlequin novel cliché.) The only thing that's missing to add to her perfect morning is sun streaming through the window, but Justin's bedroom only has a tiny window, that doesn't allow in much light, and well, it's February in New York and the sun's not exactly prone to bestowing the citizens with a lot of sunlight.

She moves closer to Justin, wrapping an arm around his stomach, placing a chaste kiss on the center of his chest. She grins against his skin when he lets out a groan and quickly tries to hide her grin when he opens his eyes seconds later.

"Hey," she whispers, hot breath ghosting against his torso, making him shiver slightly.

He blinks, looking down at her and wraps his arm around her, eradicating any distance that may have been between them. He smiles and she smiles back, and she feels like an idiot, but she's happy, so whatever. His voice is still hoarse with sleep (and it may or may not have made her shiver, okay, it did,) and replies, "Hi," he drops a kiss on her forehead.

They lie quietly for a few moments, enjoying the warmth of each other and comfort of the bed. She listens to his heart, beating steadily under her hear, feels his breath with every rise and fall of his chest, and closes her eyes, letting out a breathless sigh when his fingers trace the curves of her bare skin.

She's happy.

*****

They don't really talk about it, now that it's out in the open. Sure, she has questions, but they can wait, she's pretty sure he'll be around for a while.

They continue with their lives.

He walks her to class, with an arm securely around her waist, kisses her when he leaves her outside of her class, studies with her, watches movies with her as they curl up on his old sofa, buries his nose in her hair when they sleep, grits his teeth when he comes, rubs his thumb across the back of her hand when she's anxious, and kisses her neck when they prepare dinner.

He loves her.

And that's enough.

*****

It's May and the air grows sticky during the day and the temperature drops in the evening. Exams are around the corner and she's almost finished with her first year of college.

She doesn't know where all the time went, which, yeah, is corny to say, but she totally gets it. She can seriously remember her first day, hell, remembers her dad dropping the last box in her room, remembers hugging him, remembers that first moment when she was almost human again.

She's slowly packing her belongings, not wanting to wait until last minute to do so (seriously, she spends way too much time with Justin, but time well spent, even if she is a little more responsible now, she had to grow out of her rebellious phase anyway).

Abby is gone, attending a class, and then off to dinner with her new boyfriend (this one is much nicer, writes her sweet poems, sends her flowers once a week, Abby tries to deny how much she likes it, but Alex notices the blush that stains her cheeks when Alex mentions his name) and Justin is in class, too. She looks at the alarm clock that still rests on her nightstand, finds that Justin's class ended moments ago and he should be here soon. She finishes packing her box before searching her room for a duffle bag (which, honestly, is pointless, most of her things are at Justin's anyway).

Moments later, there's a knock on the door and she lets Justin in, kissing the corner of his mouth when he's fully in the room.

He smiles against her lips, "Hey."

She returns his gesture, "Hi," she turns to her bed, picking up her duffle bag. He stops her, placing a hand gently on her elbow, and she knows that they're about to have a serious conversation, can tell in the delicate way his fingers grasp her elbow, she glances back at him, and sure enough, his posture is tense, his mouth in a thin line and he looks away from her.

She removes herself from his grip, and rests on her unmade bed, "What's wrong?" She asks, trying to keep the worry out of her voice, but it laces itself in anyway. She closes her eyes briefly, wishing that he did make her so damn vulnerable sometimes. But, he wouldn't be Justin if he didn't.

He looks at her briefly and begins to pace the floor, she lets out a sigh of relief, he's just nervous, it's nothing scary. She relaxes, the crease leaving her brow and she bites her bottom lip. "What is it?" She tries again.

He stops pacing and kneels on the ground before her, she tries not to gasp, but she does, because holy freaking Jesus, he's kneeling, he's _knelling_ before her and holy shit, "Holy shit," she lets out, her eyes widening in surprise.

He looks panicked for a second and looks around confusedly before he takes in his posture and lets out a nervous laugh, "Oh, god, no, _no_. I love you, but…"

He trails off and she's pretty sure she's forgotten how to breathe, or she's having a heart attack, or something.

He runs a hand over his face, still chuckling lightly to himself, he removes himself from the floor, and takes a seat next to her, he grabs her hand, running his thumb over her skin, "It's alright, Alex. Calm down, I didn't mean to scare you. I mean, one day, I'll ask, but not today, okay?"

She lets out a breath and her heart stops racing; she nods, still unable to talk.

"I did want to ask you something, though," he adds when she's finally calmed down.

She raises an eyebrow, good god, he really is good at dragging things out, always has been, "Okay, ask away."

He licks his lips, and tightens his grip on her hand, "Will you move in with me?"

Sweet Jesus, it's seriously like pulling teeth with this kid, that's all? He got her all worked up for that? Her lips curl up in a small smile and she hits his chest lightly before leaning into him and wrapping her arms around him, "Yes, Justin," she says, her smile growing when the tension leaves his body and returns his embrace.

He kisses her temple and rubs his hand up and down her arm, taking comfort in her nearness.

She pulls away, looks up at him, "But, only if we can finally talk about everything." And she means it. They've needed to talk about this for months, still have so much to discuss and both have been far too happy to push it to the side, saving it for a later date.

But, Alex isn't the most patient girl.

* * *

A/N: I am SO sorry for the delay. I moved out of my parent's house this week, had thanksgiving with the family two days in a row, had to let my Twilight fangirl out, and well, real life was busy. I hope to be back to my regular posting schedule soon. Thank you so much for your reviews and please continue to let me know what you think. Again, I am so very sorry.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_And I will find you down the road  
And will return back home to where we're meant to be  
'Cause I remember what we said  
As we lay down to bed  
We'll be back soon as we make history_

Duet- Rachael Yamagata (feat. Ray LaMontagne)

He settles himself on her bed, taking a deep, cleansing breath and runs a hand tiredly over his jaw. She watches him closes, taking in all of his mannerisms. She knew he would react like this, all tired and annoyed. He should've known though. She _knows_ him. And while she accepted his answer the first time, she knows that there's more to the story that he isn't too thrilled to elaborate on.

After more shifting and a few more minutes of silence, he clears his throat and glances at her, "What do you want to know?" He asks, his voice his hoarse, his eyes glazed over. It can't be that bad, can it?

She reaches out, grabs his hand and squeezes it gently, "I just want to know what happened. I know it's magic, Justin, that it does what it pleases, but there has to be something more to it than that, right? You didn't just "wish" harder, did you?"

He turns away from her avoiding her gaze. "I didn't mean to," he whispers.

She furrows her brow and tightens her hold on his hand, "Didn't mean to what, Justin?"

When he turns back to her, his eyes are red rimmed and glassy, "Make the wish."

She frowns, "But you said before that you wished everything would be the way it was _supposed_ to be. That you didn't want to be my brother anymore. You said that you wanted a world where we could be together." She doesn't want to admit that his statement is more than hurtful. He didn't want this? He was lying before? The stone really did just screw up? And then what? He didn't really want her? Was this a joke? She murmurs the last part aloud.

His face grows ashen at her words, "Oh god, no, Alex," he breathes, reaching for both of her hands and bringing them to his lap, "Don't ever doubt that I love you. I love you whether I'm Justin Russo or Justin Moretti," he grabs her chin gently at this last part, his grey eyes passionate as he says it; "Okay?" he finishes softly.

She nods, accepting his admission with a small smile. She sobers after a moment, her face falling as she again processes his words, "I still don't understand. What wish?"

He shifts his gaze to their hands that rest intertwined in his lap. He's quiet for a few minutes and she watches the myriad of emotions that make their way across his face. "Do you remember the cave?"He finally asks.

She shivers slightly at the memories that hit her full force when he mentions it. Yeah, she remembers it. How dark and cold it was. The bats. The intense moments they shared in there, "Yeah, I remember," she answers, "What about it?"

"Well, after I grabbed you and pulled you up, I took the stone from you, do you remember that?" She frowns slightly. She doesn't really remember it. Granted, she had a lot of other things on her mind. They only had hours to save their family; she had just finished watching Justin almost plummet to his death, almost plummeted to her own, and then she was in his arms. She was finally safe and warm, with the heat of his hands burning through her dirty clothes.

"No," she says, "I don't. You took it from me? Why?"

He sighs heavily, "I don't know, reflex or something. I knew that we only had so much time left. But then I realized that I was holding the Stone of Dreams. That I could wish anything and it would come true," he pauses, inhaling deeply, his gaze isn't on her anymore, his eyes are directed at the wall, unfocused, and she realizes that he's back in the cave. Remembering the day that forever changed their lives.

She rubs his hand a little harder than normal, breaking him from his reverie and gaining his attention once more, "What did you do, Justin?"

He makes a pained noise in the back of his throat and she watches as his eyes fill up with moisture, "I didn't mean to, Alex, I knew we only had that one chance to get it right. But, I was selfish. I started to make a wish. I wished that you weren't my sister, well, that's what I wanted to anyway. But then that damn bird flew in and took it from my hand."

Her mouth falls open at this; surprised that Justin would do anything like that. God, he must really love her. She leans forward, bringing her hand to his cheek and caressing it gently. He lets out a quiet sob and leans into her, resting his head in the crook of her neck, "Shh," she whispers soothingly, running her hand through his hair.

He shakes his head against her, spreading his hot tears with the movement, "It's not, Alex. I'm so fucking selfish. I shouldn't have done that. I should have done the right thing. I should have wished to have our parents back. But all I could think about was how much I loved you. How much I needed you."

She shushes him again, and continues to run her fingers through his hair. His sniffles dissipate and soon he settles back into his previous position on her bed.

"But why did _your _wish come true?"

He grimaces, "That magician lied to us. Saying that any wizard could make just one wish. Only one wizard _family_ can make a wish. We once had the same magic, Alex. And since I started to make a wish once before, it granted the one I finally made when you had the stone. So, when I wished that everything was the way it was supposed to be, that's what it granted. Not yours."

She takes a minute to process this, cursing that damn magician one more time (ugh, she never like him anyway. He always wore the most hideous clothes). And it all makes sense. Of course it does, _Justin's_ the one that told her. So it's more than likely true.

"I'm sorry, Alex," he says quietly, regret lacing his voice.

"Why?" She questions.

"I screwed up. Left you alone to deal with all of this. Never came to visit you. I should have been there for you in any way I could've been."

"Justin," she reprimands softly, leaning forward to quickly kiss the corner of his mouth, she grabs his hand, squeezing it for the umpteenth time that day, "Don't ever be sorry about this," she says forcefully, making sure to retain eye contact between the two of them, she kisses him again, reaching up and cupping his cheek. "I love you." She finishes softly.

He still looks disbelieving but nods.

She resists the urge to roll her eyes, after all, this is a serious moment, but good lord, she's never met someone as amazing as Justin that doubts themselves as often as he does. She kisses him again, slower than she normally does, trying to convey with actions what he obviously is having a hard time comprehending with words.

"I love you," she tries again, "And I would totally love to move in with you. And marry you, and have kids with you," she grins at the smile that begins to form on his face, she kisses him again, staying close to him as she whispers her last promise to him, "And I'll let you have your way with me in any room in whatever residence we may dwell."

He laughs heartily at this and pulls her into his lap.

* * *

A/N: Oh my gosh, words cannot convey how sorry I am about this delay! I've had so much real life drama at the moment that I haven't been able to focus a lot of energy on writing it. Okay, so, I'm going to try and get back on my regular posting schedule, or at least, posting once a week. I hope you all had a safe and happy holiday. And I'm so sorry about the delay! Also: if you're interested, I now make fan videos. And if you'd like to check those out you can find them at http:// www (dot) youtube (dot) com/ user/ AcuteXenophobia. Anyway, leave a review and let me know what you think! And another thing, sorry, I missed you guys so much! But, boys suck. And I'll also attribute that to the delay between chapters. Anyone know any straight, single boys between the ages of 19-24? Send them my way, lol. I love all of you!


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_They made a statue of us  
And put it on a mountaintop  
Now tourists come and stare at us  
Blow bubbles with their gum, take photographs of fun  
Have fun  
They'll name a city after us  
And later say it's all our fault  
Then they'll give us a talking to  
Then they'll give us a talking to  
'Cause they've got years of experience_

Us- Regina Spektor

"But dad!" Alex, whined, pouting expertly, she followed him to the back of the shop and continued her rant, "That's not fair! You didn't even give me a chance to explain!" She threw her hands up in exasperation and cast a glare in her father's direction.

He avoided her gaze and walked to his sandwich making station where he began to slather a piece of bread in mayonnaise, "I don't need to listen!" He tossed back over his shoulder, "What more do I need to hear? Believe me; I heard it all with the words, 'move in' and 'Justin.'"

Alex rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest before walking toward her dad and leaning against the counter across from him, she forced her face into a severe expression, brow furrowed and lips tight, knowing that pouting wasn't the proper tactic for the moment, "But you like Justin."

Her dad paused what he was doing and angrily shoved his knife into the mayonnaise jar. He wiped his hands on his apron and mimicked his daughter's position and raised an eyebrow, "So? What does that have to do with anything?"

She sighed impatiently and uncrossed her arms, and walked toward her father and continued to make the sandwich he had abandoned, "Everything," she said, distributing the ham evenly on the slice of bread, she continued, "I mean, I could understand you flipping out and banning me from doing this if it were, Dean or Riley," she glanced at her father, catching the way his jaw clenched when she mentioned her high school boyfriends names, she smiled to herself, knowing that she was getting closer to her father relenting, "I mean, you can trust him, daddy, you know that he'll take care of me. He'll make sure I'm doing well in school, that I have a roof over my head, food in my belly…" she trailed off, stopping her sandwich making, waiting to hear his signature sigh.

Seconds later, she heard him sigh behind her, "Let me talk to him first, okay?" He placed his hands gently on Alex's shoulders and offered a small smile, "Go get him."

She smiled widely and ran toward the doorway.

"Wait!" Her dad called, catching up to her, "I need to discuss this with him privately. Somewhere intimidating," He furrowed his brow in thought and 'hmmed' to himself.

"The lair?" Alex offered, biting back a grin as panic flashed across her dad's features.

"Alex!" He whispered harshly, "You know I can't, he doesn't know about magic."

She rolled her eyes, "Dad, Justin knows about magic."

"Oh," his brow relaxed and he sighed, his expression becoming sober again, "You really love this kid, don't you? You're going to give up your magic for him, aren't you?"

She shrugged noncommittally and turned around, walking out the door to find Justin.

*****

Alex waited in a booth in the substation, snacking on fries and sipping on a soda. Anxiously moving her leg up and down and casting superstitious glances at the lair door. She checked her phone and found that almost an hour had passed since Justin joined her father.

She groaned and pushed her food away from her, leaning her head down on the table and closing her eyes. She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she saw was Justin's beaming face. She looked at him with half open eyes, not understanding why he was so freaking happy.

And then she remembered the past few hours. Oh, well. She's just going to assume here and say that everything went well. But, just in case, "What'd he say?" she mumbled, her voice thick from her nap.

"Well, you're looking at your new roomie," he opened his arms, waiting for her to hug him, which she did, quite excitedly once she removed herself from the booth (her left foot fell asleep and it was difficult standing up, delaying their moment, but not ruining it).

She kissed him lightly on the lips, pulling away when she heard someone clear their throat. She looked over Justin's shoulder to find her father leaning in the doorway to the kitchen, smiling at their exchange. Alex excused herself from Justin, kissing him on the cheek, before walking to her father and hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, dad, so much," she said into his chest. He did say anything in return, just kissed her hairline gently and smoothed her hair.

*****

"What a crazy year," Abby said from the other side of their small room, "I mean, you went from being this apathetic, negative Nancy, to like, the most vibrant, happiest girl."

Alex raised an eyebrow at her roommate.

Abby laughed and continued to pack her box, "Okay," she relented at Alex's disbelieving look, "Maybe, you aren't the happiest, and yes, you did have your downs earlier this year, but even you have to admit, you're much happier than you were at the beginning of the school year."

Okay, so she'd give her that one.

"And look at me," Abby continued as both girls finished their packing, "I went from dating the biggest jackass on campus to dating a sweet Jewish boy that writes me poems."

Alex nodded half heartedly, focusing more of her attention on her task, she wanted out of this dorm and into Justin's apartment by tonight.

Abby noticed her roommate's lack of enthusiasm and quieted for a few minutes, "I'm really going to miss you," she muttered in the silence.

Alex paused, dropping the shirt in her hands and wrapped her arms around her roommate, hugging her tightly, "Aww, I'm going to miss you, too," she said, "But, I promise, we'll stay hang out. You have my number, just call when you need me. And, well, I'll try to be there when you need me."

Abby smiled at the offer and nodded, letting Alex go and returning to her packing.

*****

Justin groaned a sigh of relief when he dropped the final box in their bedroom and fell to their bed unceremoniously.

Alex smiled down at him before crawling on the bed and making herself comfortable on his chest, he let out another groan and wrapped his arm around her back, holding her close, he brushed back her hair and kissed her temple, "Welcome home," he whispered.

Alex smiled and squeezed him as best she could in her position, "Good to be here."

* * *

A/N: I love you all so much! Thank you for putting up with me lately. This is probably the last chapter. I don't know what else to do with these two for this story. But, I'll post an epilogue within the week or so. So, let me know, want it to take place five, ten, fifteen years after this chapter? What would you like to see in it? Let me know and review!


	19. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

_I took the stars from our eyes, and then I made a map  
And knew that somehow I could find my way back  
Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too  
So I stayed in the darkness with you_

Cosmic Love-Florence and the Machine

Epilogue-Eight Years Later

"Justin!" Alex yelled from their room, she paced in front of their bed impatiently; her arms crossed and frown on her face as she studied the garment that lay on their bedspread. Seconds later she heard him make his way up the stairs and let out a frustrated sigh.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

She didn't answer just looked pointedly at the bed, making sure he would follow her gaze. He did and let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. "I don't see the big deal about it. You let Sofia wear it to her baptism. In fact, you _raved_ about it. Went on and on about how beautiful it was."

Alex scoffed, "Yeah, okay, but Sofia is a little _girl_."

Justin raised an eyebrow, "So?"

Alex rolled her eyes, "So? Well, Justin. I don't know if you realized this, but Eli, you know, our kid that is getting baptized today? Yeah, he's a _boy._ Boys do not wear dresses, Justin. They don't."

Justin sighed and sat on the edge of their bed, carefully avoiding the _dress, _"Oh, come on, Alex. It isn't a dress. I wore it when I was baptized."

Alex furrowed her brow, "No you didn't. Mom and dad didn't have us baptized until we were seven and nine when grandma Russo forced them to. You wore a little suit and _I_ wore a white dress."

Justin sighed patiently, Alex still did things like that sometimes, "Alex," he said softly, "No, I didn't. Remember? I was baptized a week after my mom, Vera Moretti gave birth to me."

Alex face fell slightly but she nodded, "Right. Sorry, I still. You know." She shrugged, she didn't need to elaborate.

Justin pulled on her gently until she was resting on his lap; she leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead lightly and just held her until she relaxed. After a few minutes he said, "Come on, Alex, my mom already let you name the kids, the least you can do is put the _dress_ on Eli."

Alex pulled away from him, her eyes bright, clearly ready for another argument, "_Let_ me, your mother _let _me name my kids?"

Justin carefully removed himself from their bed and left Alex standing in their bedroom, still muttering to herself.

*****

You'd think that after nine years of dating, five years of marriage and two kids that Justin's mom would lighten up and get over the fact that Alex sullied her son. But, apparently, Vera Moretti held grudges for a _very_ long time.

Alex watched her mother in law from across the loft. Vera was holding Eli and chatting amicably with Theresa, though Alex could tell from the lines in her mother's forehead that Theresa wasn't enjoying the conversation too much.

Alex took a sip of her water and frowned. Her relationship with Justin's mother had always been tense, especially after Vera found the two _fornicating_ in Justin's apartment months after Alex had moved in with him. Alex shuddered slightly at the memory. Vera screamed at her until they were both red in the face and had the nerve to give Alex the once over and tell her she could lose a couple pounds.

The two had barely tolerated each other since. But, Justin's father on the other hand loved Alex. After raising five boys he said it was about time he had a daughter in the family. Alex was quite close to her father in law, Emilio; he was one of the few reasons Alex was willing to celebrate any holiday with her in laws. He reminded her a lot of Justin, same bone structure, same startling grey eyes, and he was just as nice and good as her Justin. She still doesn't understand how he's stayed with Vera all these years.

She found him on the couch with her father, the two watching a football game, Sofia playing quietly in between her grandfathers.

Alex smiled at her little girl. She was almost three now, growing bigger every day. She had thick dark locks like her parents, though they curled like her mother's, and had the same grey eyes as her father and grandfather. She looked like Alex and acted like Justin, eager to learn and very responsible for her age. She was already showing signs of magic, which unnerved Alex a little. She of course had given up her right to the family powers when she married Justin, five years earlier, she wasn't quite sure who would teach their children, though she hoped she could convince Justin to do so.

Alex studied her family, watching them all interact, her brother in laws were giving Max a hard time about something, Harper was now sitting with Theresa, calming her mother down and making the tension leave her face, and Abby, good ole Abby was sitting next to her husband, Paul in the living room, watching the game with two of Alex's favorite men.

"Hey," Justin said when he sat next to her at the counter, "What are you up to?"

She shrugged and smiled sweetly at him, "Plotting revenge on your mother."

Justin's face paled, "Alex, no, she's still pissed about you putting salt in her sugar."

Alex grinned and laughed deeply, "Yeah, that was pretty great."

Justin rolled his eyes and pulled her closer, kissing her lightly on the lips, "Okay, it was kind of funny. Though, having her spit her coffee on me wasn't quite as humorous." He tried sounding upset but the grin tugging at his lips told Alex otherwise.

"Hey, I told you not to sit there."

He 'hmmed' quietly and turned to watch their family, a content smile gracing his face.

"Ooh! Hey, I've got it."

Justin frowned and turned to his wife, "Got what?"

Alex smiled impishly at him and pecked his cheek, "I'm going to tell your mom we're naming our next kid, Buck." She removed herself from her chair and started walking toward their mothers.

"Alex!" Just called, rushing after her, "Alex, no!"

Alex laughed to herself. Some things, luckily, never change.

-_fin-_

* * *

A/N: I love all of you. Thank you so much for putting up with my bs the past few months. Hopefully, I'll be back to my regular writing schedule in the next couple of days when I move. Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews. And please, leave a couple more!


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